,. Prinletl ell Pulilt1Md by Hn!DUST.uf Tuns l'lr.Bss, D E L H I . ' · "My ,m..fltozlftCS At.. f,zmosl b«,ofi'UI• ,; m:dier'' offai/A IDiiA me. I b~rt.vs4 ,~·o;.JidA~··· :·~himsG·! ;. -- .· -~ ,_,. ..,,_ ·' ._ . •' ~;-- -- ._,_ .. _-·,_ ,.. --~ ,_. - .· ~:-' . d' - : before.' But. .1M vnp~~l'tllleletl BUeetu of.thiJ ezpe~i-'' .·~·· -~ ·,;.y ,;,.~. ,.;;.: ·~,-. ,..;;;_ji~: ' : - -:· ' ' : .._ •••. •-,-~ _.' -. -:.;[- , .... !· • '. -._·. __-,. \< cllampioft · of 11011-Pioleftce: . Goil : .wilU"ff, '.l Aope: ~eve;. io- m·i ~~~u tau Jo,tlioie'""'. ·11 _, ·._-:-. ., ·. ... . -~ " '_,: - - ~ 66. I mtJY ft~U d1ltl •'. ""'" _of fliolencc may -p fi!Jt.r mr ~. 1 ·!Dill .lhe• 6e. ._,;., lo ~~~~ i1e' wnlicl of /ale ~goiflsi ' m~. 1M il 'IDoi{ ,.0, .. ' ~ •llllh my 'flltimale foilh i• .tJOII.fliolence ~~>iic:A my ' •, -. .. ' - .·' ~ . -- ' ', . ~- poople ....etl •-·.. tA•• t~nybody, she." ; ·
. . ·i .• ' -- ·',1 ' ·- ·.:~ • ·· < KIIAlr .t.BDUL II.U'l'All KIUN · ~ -~ .
, FOREWORD_'' - .. ,.. • ··. ,. ··' ·: -~ ;:)' Tuoua:B: I had a.lwa.ys longed fo~· ft·: I; was never able to be· with Khansaheb' ... Abdul. Gaffar Khan for. any length of · time before .the closing month11 of last· · year. . Good fortune, however, brqught · ·me not only the younger brother .. but•, ·· all!o the elder, , Dr. Khansahib, very ·· ··soon after their discharge -from HazB.~ rlbagh Prison.. As luck would.--n&.ve-i~ they were under orders not to ,enter • the. Frontier· Province till 28th. Decem~: be~; last. They were under. discipline·· not· to offer Civil Disobedience. :And tio they ac~epted the hospitality '.of Seth Jamna.lal Bajaj .in Wardha. I was " thus. privileged ' to come in intimate . touch with, the brothers. · The more I knell! . them the .• more , attracted I felt' · towards theJD:, .I w~ struck by theil: .. transparent sincerity, frankness . and ut-o. . most , simplicity. l ohse"ed, too,, that · they llad come to ~·· believe , in truth . and ' non-violence. not .··as a. policy but ;. ..- ' ·- ,. ' ~ ; , - .-- -. ·- ' - ( ii ) as a creed. The younger brother, I found, was consumed with, deep religious fervour. His was not a narrow creed. I found him· to· be a universalist. His politics, if he had any, were derived · from his religion. The Doctor . had no politics. This privileged contact led me to the conclusion that the brothers were much misunderstood. I, there- . fore, asked Mahadev Desai to note all he could from them of their lives and prepare . for the public a sketch intro d_ucing them as men. He was to leave politics alone· and avoid criticism of the Government. :The result is this character-sketch. ·.Cet the reader judge whether .the brothers' claim to b& known as simple Khudai Khidmaigara '(i.. e., Servants of God) is vindicated 'by the ·following pages, assuming that they give an accurate and truthful recital of_ the events of their lives as the brothers gave them to Mahadev Desf!oi. M. K. GANDHI
DELHI 1 , 14lA JGnvory, 1935. '"" '~ ---·--- 'l .rr:>~ i ./-~ _,..) I Chit AFGHANIS' .•. •\ s~'"'._ ~-J7 ,. rl ,~ i KABUL Mala.ka.nd :{ ( } i 0 . Mohnand,.r--: <;y-6>' •' · \'' ,.....) "tr-. I LTtm!m'lt'l.J . -.- I ,.J ~ ) ,/ Charoe.ddal.,.fl U:tzc.rn I r " -~--- } ';_. ' ~· Poohv.wayt"'"\.....1).. ..- / t '· _..,, ~" Attoc~ "'/ ~ \> .. ,.,, . ..-. .,. ) . ., ' ~<: l )· :/· ;; >hat ( ....- {'-"'\._..) ~ J:o,; r·-· I i'" ., ~'{' •'' \ ·~ \.., A I ~~ ; I i Dt:~Jt I~mJ.7~ ~ 1 Kh: ·- ~ I SIND Seab fi;~.l :~ILk-:: t-o lMl inch. I L____ _ ,JJ . -· ~- •• ·'"-. ~ .·.;--,_~;~-j:.. -" · , TWO SERVANTS OF GOD. -.•. .... '.·,•'·:, ..;,. •·-: ' -·_ 'i' :. , C ' __>.: ;' ~·'.',r ;~ .. -~. ·,<-.' •·.· _..-. ~:_.., -~- ,. '-- ._, ---. -.- ~-:..-!• ' ' ' CIIA.PrER £('"'' .•...-.. ••...• . ... - ''-':_;_.;;:, ,_~ .,,.,· ._- ...• --~. '··. ,• I!''.'~<<_._~:-·•. :.'.:: ' 'W ·.f - ~- ' ,'' w· _"•: < ; , •• ''' ~ ...-~ ·: .._-:·.:t··"'·.~~-·J,- -~--- ·"·_'('·-·:-_··_. __ :··_:_,. c:·<·-,.-·· ; __ .. '-·.i" f·. 'rnic iRONTIEB PROVINCE ~-· . :' ~;·-~t·.'·.J:"_-;:_.:>~,_.- ·--:.'·•" -~ --.. ~~-~ --:;-_._-.;~ -::~ ·:<· . ': Tir:c ·st~J~gl~· for-~a•~~freedom, >which .: bas been 'going olf ,01" ·.the :Pasli · JifteeQ ~years, may h"'• I.Ikenel!_' t~ an earthquake .. iri many respects.· ·• As it has been st.rictl,y, ; .~on-violent,'·.. it ··lacks ''lome •of . Who would not like to know more of the indomitable race that produces such heroes? I have the rare good fortune of knowing intimately the Khan Brothers who have just been. released from the Haza1·ibagh Jail where they were detained M State prisoners.· Intimacy has but deepened the affe.ction and regard I had for these bro'thers. ·They have permitted me to ask .them ali sorts of questions about their lives. The story they hav& told me is so enthralling that I must reduce a. part of it to writing and share it with the public. The publio know that the Brothers,. though ·they have been discharged from prison, are under orders , not to enter the Frontier Province. When the reader has finished reading the story of the Brothers, they will wonder with me ·why they are debarred from entering their own province. &JI.A.N ABDUL GAFF.AR KHAN, DR. KHANSAHIB CliAPTER .. II . - -·· ~ . ···.·.BIRTH .J.ND PARENT.J.GE - -.-~ ' ·- . ' . •. . -. . ·. ' . ' " ._ ,, -~ ' .- ' ' . -· ..- .. ·-·. ,: '_· '. :. "l COULD tell you the yea., of my bii-tht· .· . said the younger of .the Khan_ Brothel'll,• '.'but not the date. For I know the date. •· according to the lunar . month Jeth, but · not the ChristiAn date." :: ., • v - ' :; ,• . "Jethl" I exclaimed rather surprised. · ·~'We too.h&ve got Jeth.u" · ·: - : . . .· · .' . - ' .. , . . -,,. "Oh, yes•. You .a.nd, we ha~e .mor~ things in common than we know. .Our .traditions. are the same, many of our •. customs are the same, and after all it should nofl be forgotten that for centuries · the religion of . people- of our parts :waa .· Buddhism.. Our district is. strewn · with · relics. of the Buddhist times and the.· . nam-es of some of the towns are Buddhist . .·or Hindu, and quite a number of 'Pushtu · words are--derived .. from Sanskrit~"- sai I . ·Khan Abdul Ga1far Khan~ · · ·-- · '-----. -~- . ... ·~ .. f. , .. Dr. Khan Sahib, the . elder·· brother, ...... ,.. - ; . . '" 8 _TWO SERVANTS OF GOD was hom m 1883, and Khan'Abdul Gafiar Khan, the you.nger brother, was bom in 1890. They come of a family of Khans belonging to the Mohmadzai tribe. "Zai" _meap,s literally. "hom of" and indicates descent, a.nd Khan means ''chief." All ·the tribes on the Frontier derive their ·names from their oldest- ·ancestors. The :Brothers' fa~er•. Khan Sa.heb . Bahram Khan, was the Khan o! 'tho ~illage of Utmanzai in the Charsadda tehsil of the 'district of Peshawar. · Charsa.dda is twenty miles from Peshawar, and Utman~ .zai is · be~utifulfy situated on the river .Swat, about· two miles ~m Charsadda. lj'or about twenty miles west is the terri· tory of the . Mohmand tribes through which one en~rs Afghanistan. Bom and bred in · these BUIToundings, they are children of Nature and . find themselves ·;t;ather uncomfortable in our modern seats of civilisation-though we must remember that the elder brother has had. the. bulk of ~education. in England and has_ spent about eleven years abroad. But · often enough in their talks their, thoughts run hack to those hills and the river and the ~·-- .. j ·. BffiTH AND.-PARENTAGE : ; 9. little. island. in··the river.on. whir:h -titej · have built a little bit of a .retreat .where . it is their dream "One day to have Gandhiji. 1 for .. their: guest•. · "You will have your ..Ashram, there,. Mahatinaji. •• tlier ·say. ~'a.nd we could not think of more peace1ul . · and beautiful surroundings, ' The' whole' Peshawar Valley abounds in fruits·· of· all . kinds and we assure you that you will put on pounds of weight there.~·-· They talk of • · their sugar-cane fields and the rich creamy · milk of their CO\;VS which they· use' exclu· ·· sively lor. butter • and , of their • buffaloes which. they. use- for all .~ther purposes. · "But where those fields are· and · what is happening to . them to-da.y we do .not ,know," · they say· with a sigh whioh indi~ ..cllteano defeat 01' despair, but the natural home-sickness of ·an ~xile. • ' ... " - :But:'~ return to th~ir good· father< When the Brothers told me the -story of their father, r was put iii. mind of . the story of the Pa,.tel Brothers• father. ·Both the stories are full of interE"Bting parallels. Both·.the· old Patel and the .old Khan·. WeT8 deeply religious. both Jiv~d to a· rip&'· . . ~ JO TWO SERV.ANTS OF GOD old age-over ninety-and both had pretty nearly the same share in the upbringing of their children. But there the parallel ends. .For whilst one may call the J?atel Brothers absolutely "elf-made, one may not perhaps say that the Khan Brothers are self-made quite to .the. same extent. For the old Khan was one of. the chiefs of 'one whole village-something like a Zamindar-and had at least the where withal to send his son to England. The Patel Brothers' father had a. much more modest income and his sons had · to educate themselves. The old Patel was more of a · recluse' than a man of the world, but the old Khan wielded such i.rifluenoe that when he was over eighty he had to be imprisoned soon after the younger son in 1919! "Both. my father and my mother live in our memory as the supreme examples of · a. truly religious life," said Abdul Gaffar Khan,· " Both of them were unlettered, but both lived more in the world o~ the spirit than of the ·flesh. My mother would often enough sit down · · alter h&r ~maz (pra~er) 'to •meditate in alienee and stillness.'· I have yet .tq.·know · .•. twomoreGod-fearingsouls. c:/ .•. ····•·' -- f:_•/-,t·,jc__:i __ ' _ I:>'- '.'/_,-,·..,.:,··i1~c '-,. "-L .i ·>"My father throughout, his life, made', many friends and no.,enexpies-. .In fact,, ·.. without mentioning . the names of SOJI!.e of . the nearest ·and deare8t relations. · I may. say that my father had many enemies:wha., at the end of their days repented of· .the~ . treatment .. they had given him and 4ied: his devoted friends. ·.He lrne:w no revenge;' and 'he had something in,, him :which instinctively · told ·him. that there , .was, no dishonour in being deceived, it Jay jn deceiving., He was a man of. his word and . he ·was. so . transparently truthful. that not even his enemies. dared. tQ ,dis"). believe or contradict .him., Crowds . of ·people would come and deposit . their aavings with' him ·without ever -asking for a receipt and they kne:w. that his was a ·bank . which · would never fail. . :He never believed in dancing attendance bd .. those in authority, but tM ·,. mig'htiest · in the land held him in' awe.: The biggest of the British .officials would address him. < ' lll TWO SERVANTS-OF GOD a8 .'Uncle' and think twice before they could decide to displea11e him," "How long did he live?" I asked. "Did he interest himself in . our fight for freedom!'~ · . , . uHe died in 1926 at th~ age of 95. I cannot say that he' understood the implications of the struggle. But he was in favour :Of -reform in, .all spheres. , In our days,.priests u~ed to look askance at men sending their boys. to the modern · schools. ._-But he would not countenance the. prejudice. When the Rowlatt Bill agitation came, 'I threw ·,my11elf into it. I was. immediately arrested. There was on the 6th of April & meeting in Utmanzai of. over a hundred thousand peopfe. 1\'Iy fathet; attended the meeting. After my arrest, 'there were attempts to implicate several people. F()r over _ a .fortnight they would not 'say where I 'was.·. The Police Chief came with a .jir(Ja (deputation) to my old father and "For 1\ little over three months. For Sir George Roos Keppel followed a policy of placating · the Pathans, and even I was not kept for more than six months." The old gentleman died in 1926. He never knew the date of his birth, but the sons fancied he had approached, if not passed, a century. For though he could not tell his age, he had the most vivid recollections of the Mutiny of '57, when he was in 'the prime of life. He was never proud of the record of the Pathans during that critica.l period and the Brothers recall, not . without a certain sense of sham~, how their old father used to tell them of their elder uncle who served the British so nobly by command· ing the military guard of the Charsadda Treasury. "Where is there cause for shame!" I asked. "I remember Pandit Motilalji teJJing· me that his father and uncle also served the British during the Mutiny." " BmTH AND PARENTAGE ..- . , >,liS. J ' - • ~ .. ,..,- -"That may be,~.said the elder Kh.an: ' ''But somehow, I do not think 'it ·is I ------, . pleasant to recall the · parf!· play~ by · ··the Sikhs and Pa.thans . during ·the !Mutiny.'' · ~ ., : · · : -.... · · •,-. "'. · , . . ' - ·~ . •. ' ·~They were different ti~es. Is it not good that t~o great families wit.h such. historic traditions should be: pledged to · saoiifice their' an in the fight tor freedom!" . .. __ , ,.} ··-"!·,, . . -~. ~-: -·'_., ·~,--~-. ' · "It is, indeed .... ·, · ..... __.., 'I . ( ----~- - . . . . . )' ,•. . ' . .. ' . Tcani~.orconclude this chapter with· ·out referring to the deep·emotiou With - which the Brothers · always mention their father-especia.lly his boundless:charity. ..·charity which .. _includes· loving-kindness and long-suffering~\ It is this fattier fro1n' ' whom the son& ha.ve.':inherited' their ·in· ~stinctive adherencE! to :non~violence. ' . ~ ··" .. C.HAPTER lrr. ,. E4RLY YE.§.R~ ,. THAT led up . to the ·story of the :,3rothers' early years. I was eager to know how· in that dark . pro.vinoe the . Broth{:lrlil managed to get the education ,they did and how . they came· to. join the movement for freedom . • "I have told you," said the younger Khan, "how all educll-tion in eoho·ohJ· was taboo i~""P."!Ll'ts. · ·· There were maktaba in .:Rwsques where· rnau.Zvia taught the Holy Koran and· gave a smattering of the secular subjects. But with the advent of the British even the maktaba went un der an~ very few schools took their place . .There . was a strong prejudice !J.gainst these· schools, but my father conquered this prejudice and sent us to a Mi_ssion School in Peshawar. My brother passed the Punjab University Matriculation, did a. year at· the ·ora!lt Medipal College, Bombay, and proceeded to England to finiSh. . his medical studies. There Wll-8 ·.. EARLY YEAB8 ' :. ' : 11 . ·. q\ut., an'nproar·i~ our comm~~ity when the question of. sending my brother. tcr · England came up... There waa the fear . of . his turning . Cluistian; there was~ also . ··.the.·· fear-. of. his · settling down there and . ~- nqt ·· returning·.. home, and ... ol. ]lis · marrying .an English girJ. which did prOTe . true. But my father had the ·broadest views in' these matters and said he was not going to stand in the way; . of his sons', edllCAti.nn~. I Unfortunately~ did not pass the .. Matriculation examina• ·· tlon. ·The · question. o~ . sending ~e to· · England was also discussed and I should ~ indeed· have gone but for two or three · deatha in the . family which were con- · eidcrod t.o be anything but propitious for my going for higher studies., .These , domestic .events an~ the .. J!nperstitions ·· attaching thereto robbed· me of · twn precious years and ·the fact of m.y brother having married· an English. girl .. finally sealed the fate of my Tiait_ to England. · and my studies too. came to a stand~ ...... ' : . ,. ~ Still. • -- ~- -' ;;, :-,. "' _'_ '< .f t ,.- ~ ., •. • --. . ·:·--, _,.._- : .. ·-~ ' . : ...... _, ? ,~ · :- l;lut, eve.u. the brief... career at .tho. lfis..: ·· 18 TWO SERVANTS OF GOD Ilion School was not without its lesson for the young lplal). Both the Brothers cherish the memory_ of .the then Principal of the Bchool, Rev. Wigra.m, whose character and self-sacrifice had endear· ed him to his pupils. The younger Khan made some kind of a resolve to serve his community as his Principal had served his faith in a tnissionary spiri~.. .EJefore, however, the t.alk of bjs_going_ abroad. was given up, .and beforene entered on his mission of service, he nursed for a while the ambition to serve in the Army and distinguish himself as a soldier. The. Pathan is a born soldier, and his applicatiOn for a commission in the Army had the added recommendation of his coming of a rich aristocratic family, and so it was accepted. "The military rank,"· said Khansaheb to me, "was not without its glamour. There were se veral people of my acquaintance who en joyed high positions, and I flattered my self that I was specially fitted to look like, and enjoy an equal footing with, English men. But Allah had willed it otherwise. i was on a. visit to a friend in the Army c ·. 1~. &nd I ·saw with my own eyes "the· .~~gree::· able spectacle of his being' grossly' ~sul~ ~ by ·a, British ' officer of inferior .rai1k' •. That .decided tn8" and saved me from a military caieer. .;.After tbia'l lpent. about a 'year' at Aliga.rli." n whetted" my:·a:ppe-. tite for UrCiu studies· .and I became : · &. . keen student· • of Maulaoa Zalar: Ali·· . Khan's 'Zaminaar and Ma.Ulana'' 1Abul Ka.lam · Azad's · famoua Urdu' ·'Weekly .A.l Hilal, • which • was ' unfortmiately ·sQ.ppressed during . the War. But·· iny political education may be said ·to ·have begun with these studies a.nd my interest in national education dates as far back ait 1911 when I tooli: an active part in est&b•. Jishing several na.tional achoolsjn the pro· ·vince. When after theWai theRowia.tt- ~1Sma wc&CI presented to 1is a8 a· reward' of .. our a6rvioe8, I had DO hesitation in piring: . irig· into the agitation that 'wa.S launched ·by·Ma.hatma"Ga.ndhi.' 'J)lere •ere linpr8- cedented Aartal.t m: out province aa- eVeJ'Y'" where• and 1 :have a.l.rea.dytold yoli.how ·my'· old father attended the meeting at · Utm&.nza.i on the 6th of April~. where. no leu tha.n a hundred thousand people had.·. 20 TWO SERVANTS OF GOD gathered. There was no overt action of Satyagra.ha. The fact o( our having had this meeting was quite enough for the e.nthorities. Tliough I was arrested, there was no kind of trial. I was asked if I was .a •Badshah of the Pathans.' I said I did .oat know it, but I knew that I was a ser .vant of the community and tha-t '"' coulll not take these Billslyi.Dgdown. Thejirga that waited in deputation on me used all kinds of threats and all kinds of ·specious arguments. I shall just cite one. It · was this, that the Frontier Crimes Regulation, which was already in force in the province, was, if anything, worse than the Rowlatt Bills,, and that if the Pathans had no grievance against the Regulation it was hardly fair for them to join in. th~ agitation against' the nowlatli .Bills I Besides, when British India had so far hardly ever shown any sympathy for .the Pathans,. why. should the Pathans be anxious to run any risk for the ungrateful ·people in British India? But this argu ment. like the previous one, fell flat upon me. ·.1 remained adamant and so there was nothing for it but to arrest me with .· ' ' l!l . I ~ 'a• number of oth.ers.'• ·. '· ,· . :.. :, ,' .'; '•: .. -. '•".t-' • ·; .• .... '·'. ' :. -~ '!. ~ ~ · "I should · like to .• know ·.·· -how you were treated ~t the time ,of this yoUl' first.· imprisonment,~·· l asked. ··. · . - , - :. ·' ·r .• ,.WeD, X'waa n~t only an ~rdinary coni viet bqt a most·dangeroua convict, ·I w.a~ taken to the jailhandcufted and I had fet. • · ters on all the time of my imprisonment~ . I was twice my p,resent bulk in those day!'; weighing 220 lbli., and there were no fet~rs to fit my legs. Whether a special pair was made ol' not, 1 do·.not • know,· .But· they .. were' hard put to it' to' find.a pait, and· when. they .. ·. did put . one ·on· .. me. ··the. . portion above· the ankle· bled profusely; .. That. apparently :did · not worry •.• the.· ·authorities . who said ;I·· should. not .t.ak&' ··long 'to.:·get accuiltomed···to· them.l···a.•· though this was not enough~ they made a.. most vicious attempt to implicate ·me. in a serious oftenoe. : A Pathan from ' my •village had been tried and convicted for having tampered· with the telegraph wires · and was asked if he knew me. , He replied · in the aft~ative. . He ~ai~ he had joined 22 TWO SERVANTS OF. GOD the movement because of ·my appeaL, 'Well then/ he was asked,' 'did he not instigate -you· to: break the .. wires?' TIJ "Whicn he ga.ve an emphatic No." ...... "But what was happening to the elder brother· during all this while?" "I wonder· ed, :I was told- that h6 had hken his degree of M. R.· C•. S. (Land.) from St. Thomas' Hospital and had gone to the: front. After the War he wn.s serving in France when the' agitation here broke out. -Not a letter from India reached him. He tried to retum home, but he had to wait .six months in London until he could get his embarkation orders in 1920. Thus ·whilst' his. father and brother and • other relations were in jail, he was serv· ing · the British in France and was deliberately kept in ignorance of the happenings a.t home. On return here, it wil.a with the greatest poasible difficulty that he could obtain permiasion to resign. Whilst the elder brother settled down _to practise medicine, the younger interest• ed hiinsell more and mora in the Congress . ' ·'' . :·. EARLY· "tEll!B '~··J 'f': : . . . . ·.· ' --~ - -~ ' and the Congress ea.use •• ·,.On' one 'ooca.SioJt whilst ¥_speaking ·to Gandhijf: he( said;~ · ••One ieiLl'Jlll a good delil, . Ma.hatma.ji; in' · · the school of suffering.'!" I am j ost trying' · to think what would have happened to me· .· ~I had bad an easy life; and had not' had the privilege of tasting the joys of"jail' •.·.· and all it • mea.ni; . The • imprisonment• that followed ·w~ by.' no' means" the. ordeals lh&t the first and-the second ·one · . were, but I am deeply ·th&Dktul that God~ imposed' on me ·tha.t severe· discipline in the· very- beginning· ·or 'my• _career;''-~ ....._. ~ · , t> -~- ~ ~ •.-_' · ~ ~rc ·:' 1 _.., _:... · ·-< The Kha.nsa.heb attended the .Nagpur .• Congress in 1920. took. 11o .leading, Pal'~ in,. the Khilafat agitation.. though.. he;later: · "resigned .his· office· as· Presideu\. of· the .' provincia.l'organiaation, and le at ·least in the ~terests of the pa.tern&l estate. He had a better 'physique than ll.ny one of us and could walk long dis tances even at that age. It was with some diftioulty that he could be dissuad ed." l need not tarry to recount the details of that ill-starred adventure which deserves ~ention only· foP the heroic resolve of the aged parent and the suffering that the younger Khan and his brother pilgfims und6lrwent. · . 1921 again found· Khan Abdul G&ffar Khan in jail un~er the omnipotent Security section 40· 9f the Frontier Crimes Regulation. The circumstances are worth noting. He had soon after his return from the Nagpur Congress laid the foundation of constructive activity by establishing a national school at Utman zai, his village, and was trying to estli.b· lish branch schools all over the province. ' There was no question of civil disobe 'dience, bu.t this part of the constructive programme had appealed to him greatly and h_e bent his energies to its accom plishment. But even this was enough to lllarm the·:· au~horities.· Objection :Was. taken to his touring . the districts .and he. . was asked· to furnish security which he . refused~ ·Sir • John · Maffey" the Chief Commissioner, ··• tried · to persuade~·. the · father to ·ask his .·son to . close down· the school. ·It was' anti-British, said. he· to theoldKhan.·' ·"Why should youriloii · .·-take it . upon . himself to · establish this . school, when no one else is interested in · · it!" _he sugge~ed to the father.. The old ·Khan -epo~..J:he son · about it. The ·· son replied hi a mannertllatwent li:oD:ie: .....Father,'' he sa.id.••supposing all the other people ce_ased · to tak& interest in the namaz, ·would you ask me also to give it up and forsake my;_duty, or would you ask .me to. go on with the religious duty. in scorn of consequences!" · " · ;_: ·. · ·... •· "Certainly not,''· said the father, · ''1. would never· have. you give. up your religiouiJ duties, no matter "what others · ·· may do." r., •. :. ·· .· • ...... ,, . .' ~'" ,, '\: -~- . - ~----. o'- - •• ; ,.. wen, ... then,dather,: this ' work of , national education is like that. : lfJ: may. 26 TWO SERVA..l'ITS OF GOD give up my . Mma.z, I may give up the school." • . ' "l see," said .the father, "and yon are right." Thus Sir John's plans were foiled, with·the result tha.t Khan Abdul Gaffar· Khan was sentenced to three years' rigorous imprison~ent for the offenoil· .of teaching the Pathan boys in his own way. The suffering tha~ he went through during this incarceration oompleted the baptism that had begun in 1919. It is a most moving story. ' Solitary cells, fetters for months, grinding for prison task and what not. ·. The rigours left him physi· cally weaker. He lost 55 lbs. ip weight and had scurvy and lumbago for chronic companions. But his spirit burned brighter with increasing trials. Persecu tion and persuasion were altepl&tely used to break his spirit without avail. ~ir John Maffey once sent Khan Bahadur Abdtir Rahim Khan to bim with a message that Sir John did not object to the Utmanzai school, but that he wanted the Khansaheb to undertake not to tour !'L the. villagea. .. If. he gave the promise; he •· shoUld be immediately released. : Needles~ to say, 'he rejected the offer. , • ·. '.· .. \ , ; •t-1:·- :·i+ .. ·, _;. ~-·.: _•..,!_: __ ::···.~ ... ~.-· ::::::·:~--.-.. 1'- ·-~·But [ :would like:- to dwelLa.t some . length on 'the moral. and spiritual' side-: ·'of · ·this impris The darkest of our days, 1924-1929- yea.rs of acute ·Hindu-Muslim tension found him a.bsolutely unaffected by the ragilig passions of' the hour. He kept himself severely aloof from all activities of a ·narrow communal type, 'and .without me.ritioning them one' 'may say that there have been occasions in his life when he refused lo .be · drawn· into the surging " - ' ,·f>:,EABLl' nAB$.:•, ... ·n ··tide. . .''Let .~m~ .tell, you,!"· ~aid·· Kh'an. Abdul .· Ga.ffar \ Klta.n · to~, me ~,. once · ·. ;with· consider~ble' feeliilg, · •-t ·do ·not ·· measure' the.: strength;.•, ()f" a .. relijpoll by c~tmtfug~ Iieada: ';For. what ·i,a !fai~h untiLit ia , expressed. in ·one's lifet. ·It is my inmost conviction that Islam· is cmaz, ' . flaUeno ,muliabbat . {right . conduct, ; faith~ love),· and , without these one : calliag ~ · :him8elf a Musalman,is like sounding br8.ss and tinkling cymbal~ , .The · Koran.:.C. Shareef .. makes. it absoiotely .ol~· th&.t • ' faith in· One•-. Gad. ;without ll second and . good works are enough to secure~ a .. man salvation.'~ : . · · ·, ., . . · · : .. ~ · · ' ·:. · · ·· · ' ~' :.~ : .,;__ ' • ""• '_o .:"" ,_T " __; ~,- 0 ' '', .( ~- ' ',•~"'-' ... ~ ,•, o-~ • ': j, ~ '0" • .And yet he is no less • Mus&lma~ than ·.... .any orthodo:x: . M'Qllalman. l. do not think . he : · has · ever niissed .·a aingie ·"" ~. and hoe the spirit of J>rotherhood .· innate in: himself more, than many B()~ .'called orthodo:x:. Musa.lmans.;:;·•);'he elder . brother ha.vi.og spent many yea.ra abroa4, •, and claiming as he doea friends of various · nationi.Utiea and creeds,·., ia eomewhat of . · an. eclectic, but. he .. has .·inherited, hie · father's ·religious spirit. no. less. ~an. the · :·-. ' ... _ .... .,-.- - 3.2 TWO SERVANTS OF GOD younger"brother. Often ,:lnough he .aa.ys in jest, "My brother offers the namaz on my behalf a.lso,'' bull he fe!!Is deeply.hurt when anything comprqmising the liberal spirit of any true religion ill mentioned. I once showed the Brothers a cutting from an ultra.-orthodo:x weekly issued by a Musa.lman containing criticism of Ga.ndhi ji's fast, and asked them whether, as the writer ma.intained, Isla.m sanctioned fasting only of the orthodox type obt&in- ··· -lilgto-da.y..awLno other. "Wh.a.t ~oes he· mea.n by 11.n · orthodox fast we should like to know," they asked .. I explained that the true fast~ 'according to .Isla.m, in the opinion of the writer, consisted in abstinence from all food a.nd all drink during daytime and breaking the fast between sundown and daybrea.k. "Ab· surd," sa.id the youngor' brother indig na.n~Iy. "I myself observed complete' fast all the seven days tha.t Gandhiji • fasted in August-last, drinking salt and water of evenings I It is II. moc'kery of Islam to say that the fast, as is observed by the bulk of Mlisalm&ns, is the only true one. The Prophet observed "'·.EARLY YEARS ·. \~'· i'33 . _ ~mplete 'fasts, daya ·-·· and 'nights;~ 1, ·. think he permitted eating after'- sunset ·out of consideration for human weakness.:, The Prophet needed no food, because,/ aai -- he said, .Aila4 sent hirn spiritual food· -which ordinary mortals· could not get, as · they h.ad not the faith that is needed for · - it. ·This pape~'a criticism is- on. a par with the one that. tried: to make .me out to be a HiD:dU, beeause, I was obaerv• ing . ailen~· . every week ·.. or, b~li.use . J · studied the Gita.:.· . , . , ~ . .·-, ...... ·:-·;.."• . ~- -, -..-- ... •• .___ ,' . --- ·' - CHAPTER IV 'l'HEIR YIEWS ON RELIGION Tiu.T brings me to the articles of their faith; It is very -necessary both for ·Hindus and Musalma.ns to know what constitutes the Khan Brothers' strength and what makes them true championft of Hind11-Muslim unity. .Casually Gandhiji was··once iri.qlliring about the English' wife of Dr: Kha.nsahib and asked if she wa~ a convert to Islatn. "You will be surprised,'' said the younger Khan, ~·that -I cannot say whether she is a Musalman or Christian. She was never converted-that much I know-and she is completely at liberty to follow her own faith, whatever it may be. I have never so much as asked her about it. And why ~hOuld n Why should not a husband and wife adhere each to tmur- respective faiths? Why should marriage alter one's faith! You will be amused to hear that my brother's son. who has just passed his London Matriculation and proposes to go . ~ · 'l'BEIR VIEW_ON RELIGION,· .. , , :is · to Oxford, tells 111 in one of his;. iettera•. thAt boys regard hiaa .as a. Christian and· . that he does ij.Ot know what to tell them !"' . -1' '- . - ,- . .. - .- - ~ •.•·.• ~.·. - • ,_ ' •• ' ~ • -~ •• • + >' "I see," said Gandhiji, considerably· . surprised. ""Whil t· you lliay about your' brother's wife does surpriSe me agreeably~·· What would other Musahnalis say f. Many. do riot think like yoll in. this ttlatterf" · ·· · "· l"' .·-: -,~ ~~- •• ,.: .:../<·· . -, _.o...-:_, h.;;:)~.:_' ...... -/ ~. :. .. ·~·No, I know that:. f,hey'do n~& ·think' eo> But for·· that matter. ·not one in a hundred thoU:Sand . _knows . t.h& true spirit of Islam~ ··That is' at the back of most of· ·our squabbles and· interested :pa.rties ··on . ·. both sides ha.ve simply fanned the .fia.mes of passion and prejudice~ To wha.t depths .· of. degradation we ha.ve fallen l · When! · was .in Gujrat. jail .in 1930. I decided . to ·devote my time to· cultivating !1-n' · acquaintance. with my ·Hindu brethren•. and we decided that 'in 'Order to·under~· stand one another better w'e should have· . Gita and Koran classeS. each to be con• . ·· dllcted by men '· who ; could., tea.cb. with ·. ' knowledge and authority~.< The· classes · went on for some. time,' but··. ultimately' . ·. ··! -- ,-.-!• ~ 36 rivo SERVANTs t:lF oo:D · they had to be dlsoontiriued for. want. of any other pupi~ but ' inyseU in the Gitli. cia.sS iuid for want of niore tha.ri one pupil in the Koran class-I .forget now this friend's name. But each of us incurred alot of odium, I .being railed .at as a Hindu and the other friend as a; Musa1man. "But I kept on.my rea.ding of the 9ita which I read thrice; I think at the back of our__q]!aroLlalf!_the failure to recognise that ·e;n-faiths conta.in enough inspiration for their adherents. The Holy Koran says in so many words that God sends messen· gers and warners for all nations and all peoples and they ~are their respective pro• phets. All of them are Ahle Ki.tab-Men ofthe.Book-and the Hindus are no less Ahle Kitab than Jews and Christians." "But that is not the orthodox !liusal· f:D&n opinion!" ·"I know. But they fail to see th11.t the Hindus and their books are not mentioned in the Koran·e-Shareef, because the list : • I THEJR VIEW ON RELIGION 37 ' c ' ' ';I J -··;. ''. ·', •• the~ is not exhaustive, but merely illus· •.··.trative •. , The Koran-e-Shareel'sinlply Jays: . .·.down.-, the principle, namely, ·.that. those •. who hav~ had inspired books co~e within: · : the category 'of Ahle Kitab, and I am abso- lutely clear that the meaning ·(,t the text.··. Includes all people , who·. have :inspired··. .:·· books to govern their· faith and conduct,. · And I would go even further. and say. , that the fundamentalprinciple. oLall re•\: . Jigions are the same, though .· details diffet ' because each faith takes ·the colour and .. tla.vour of th.e soil from· which· 1t ·.sprlngs. •· ; • ·. ~- : •• • • '< ' . • ~ -- • . . . - • :;- .... ,· -.,. : -.. • .· . "To·. take · a simple · illustration. · Both ·. Islam . and ·Hinduism 'Jay ·· ~ht;! greatest· emphasis on cleanliness.· Ther~ . · is not, there. cannot be, .. any: difference . between them o~ · t~e · · question of cleanliness as. such. But . practice · differs; Islam l&ya down the· use of dry tooth-brushes, . HinduiSm . of fresh green ·tooth-brush~. Hinduism iJlei'sta.on ablu~ . tiona daily or even oftener, whereaalslam .·· · insiBts on a full ablution . at least once a wef'.k. What ·• does · tbl& ·, show!· . l'hey merely snow that Hinduism sprang . _, - ,, • ~ ~ ' ·-· - ; f 38 · · TWO SERVANTS OF GOD out of the Gangetic soil ',where there was no dearth of water· and that Islam sprang out of a desert soil where sometimes it was i..nposBible to get a. drop of water for days. But that does not mean that Isla.m can have anything to say against :Musalmans having a daily bath or using fresh tooth brushes. 1'he difference in the practices enjoined by. several religions means no thing more than the fact that each faith sprang from its OWn particular soil. · I should not, therefore, disturb anyone's · f&ith. I cannot contemplate a time wh.en there will be one religion for the whole of the world. Every community will have to derive. sustenance from its ·own faith and it· is no use one community trying . to disturb the faith of the other." That, however, does not mean that, in the Brothers' opinion, there should be water-tight compartments between the communities. There could be no · greater mistake than to think so. "The cries . we hear at every railway station of •Hindu water', ~ Islami water\·· • Hindu tea', and THEIR VIEW O:N RELIGION , . >. , 39 - ._.·.-! ' > •. . ,· ' . ,. ·" . . ~ r· ~Islaroi tea.'~. take· :our bre&th away,~·· thef · are·: not tired; of repeating everywhere . ."'Why should a.· Hhidu a.nd ,a, Musa.Ima.n have any ·objection.. to· drinking· clean . water from each. other's vessel1':'. ,, . . . •·· ,., . -·-' . :-•'': - •· There can be, however, no q uestio.q of . ·compulsion; i.Jl.· this matter as .in !lny · . other, and , no one; kno}Vs and , insists · on. this more. than -Khan, Abdul Gaftar Khan.•- There ia an incident• of the daya of 1922 .when he was in· Dera Gazi Khan jail which ·I am .tempted to · ment1on in this connection. to ·show the · Khansaheb'a -:delicate. regard ·.for- the susceptibilities of others. He had given up meat for over six months; simply out . of regard for the feelings ·of vegetarian · brother-prisoners. But his health suftered and the doctor advised him strongly, t~. ·have mixed diet if· he did not want to ' ·lose all his teeth: ·.He reluctantly agreed, . · but ·.·then· - there· was . the question 'of cooking the .. meat•.. The Sup!llintendent . ~said it should be cooked in the general· kitehen. l'he Khansaheb : . said that he :would rr.thet go without it than have it ._, ' .. --- 40 l'WO SERVANTS OF GOD cooked in the genfll'al kitchen and mJure his vegetarian brethren's susceptibilities, with the result that the Superintendent was good enough to have it cooked in a separate kitchen. The Khansaheb's delicate regard for his friends carried him to the extent of ordering no meat to be cooked in his own house during all the ·time that Sjt. Devada.s Gandhi was the Bro-thers' guest in'. 1931. But he also holds, and rightly, that even so should the · Hindus. 4ave a tender regard for the practices of Musa.lmans. It is a pathetic refiectio~ that when on medical advice he had to start taking meat diet in 1922, some of the Sikh and Hindu friends could not tolerate it.· This in tolerance is our bane. "Without a tender regard for the feelings of one another we are never going to achieve Hindu-Muslim unity," he has told me times without number. But whatever the present conditions, and however ~dark the presen·t outlook, the_ Brothers' faith in Hindu-Muslim unity is undimnuid. They have never 'tHEIR VIEW ON RELIG10N ... ·· · ; n ...... ' . ~ 'doubted that it is going. to be &; ~ettled · fact and that ·the leaders of· both the • . commulu.ties have ~0 sacrifice their·.. ·. s.IJ .. ·· bi ·the attempt to achieve it.. ··, · '.· '. : ·. • · ·-·:··,:·:, ;_ ••. • • _f ,· ; r ,·A.~-:-·"~"_ : ''When we went to;~ ; ••• .:. •• .'' BB.id • . the younger .·br~ther... I ."met !Jo Maulvi .·· · in ~harge_ of a mosque who. seriously ( • took me . ·to .· ... task · for preaching Hindu-Mu8lim unity~· ' What. a. , vain ' .attempt J~ he . ~aid •• •. They are ~idol worship para. : Ho... ·· f$Q .. w& •have any · dealings with .. them? , You. seem to be going against the teachings of Islam.;' l •· pulled him up and l!aid: 'If they. are idol worshippers, what are weT .. What .. is this ' ;worship of tombs!;. How are they. any · the less devotees of, God when· l know · · that they:. believe. in one God t •. And why .·. do you despair .of Hindu-Mlislim unity? No tnte . effort is vain. Look at- the fields over ~er&.< The grain .sowed there- . in has to remain in the fl&rth for a • certain time, then it sprouts. and in due ' .. time .. yields hundreds of its kind•.. The> . same is the ·case about· every effort in a • good cause.~,·. .. ' ~ · .,. ,. . .• :,' · 42 TWO SERVANTS OF GOD . - In another place a 1\[usalma.n editor went to them with ·practi~ally the • same plea as the Maul vi in the foregoing para graph, urging different grounds. "Why will you plough the sands? These Hindus can never. be trusted. Don't you know Shlvaji?." he asked. The elder brother had no difficulty in giving him short shrift. "So you think you know ShivajU. · What will you say if a Hindu comes calling Aurang· zeb all kinds oi names and saying that therefore all Musalma.ns cannot be trusted by ·Hindus? Well,· .well, my friend, both Shivaji and Aurangzeb are dead and let us not worry about them. What do you say about Mahatma Gandhi! So long as you think that he can be trusted, all is well. So long as we brothers are trust worthy, w:e can ask Hindus to trust us. Do not judge a community by those who, you think, are its worst representatives, but by its best." "We have heard doubts expressed about your Harijan movement, too, Mahatmaji," 11aid the younger brother 1'BEIR VIEW ON.RELIGl:ON' · .$. once•"' ~Even the Yeravda Pact and ''thi) 21 days'·· fast ; have.- been·· mialinderstood ' and we have' been told; ·that you; had· become a~communalist, We hAve stoutly. refused to countena.nce .any such criticism. ·.Yours iB a purely humanitarian moye. ment and -· those who belong· t.o a faith have absolutely no business to treat their · other brethren of faith. ItS. UntOuchables; . We ~nt.you from jail a telegra~ to. ~on~ · gratulate you:, you· will' remember. ' Of . course your reply. took 'days in being . , delivered to us f" And both.had ·a hearty · ·laugh._·. · ' ··. ·• ·· . :.· <. ~<.~·-· · :. ·· ·• .· ·~'-- " - ' ·' Not · only : ·. h~d .. they··· ~ppreC:iit~d the fasts, but thP.y had come to the heroic determination' of :giying' 'up'me~t_/·and had not touched it· since then in jail. . . Even outside • jail they' have continued ·. the practice; .. except when they .'go 'to ,· .. households Where m~at is :,. COOked 'and 1 where they inay have to sit down. t~ eat ··. · .• without previous ·.notice•. ·· The·.. •1 younger ··· brother not only fasted. with Gandhiji during the last fast,· but~ he added on& ·.· m~re article to his seU-deri.ying ordinance. • - .• . ,, ·, ~- -~ --. '" . ,TWO SERVANTS OF GOD ' . . ' . . . Regave up tea which he was very fond of. ••1 would get a headache whenever I missed my tea, and I would take plenty of it whenever I took it, but it is sur· prising that whenever I fast I do not miss it at all, and so I had p.o hesitation in giving it up,"-he said to me one day. But the. elder brother is anXious about the younger brother's health, and often raises a protest against his self-denials. And it is quite natural. He who was 220 lbs. in 1919 weighs now something like 170 lbs. Tha:t really is the toll that .imprisonment has : claimed. But I have digressed. Islam, to them, Is no narrow creed and they implicitly believe that 1t is just because one is a devout Muslim that one should be n. worker in the CllUBe of unity and of the Indian National Congress. "I am surprised, " he said at a masH meeting in 1931, "that the very name of the Congress scnres away some of my Musalman brethren. They. think that the Congress is a Hindu organisation and that thert'fore they may have noth~ ' . -· ' . ~ _;; .-_~- ~ -,,,. .. .:.. ' ,': ·- .-..-. ... __ ,-- -~ ', ... · to do with it. ; There never was a. more . incorrectdescription' of a: body,: whicii.l.a . e8sentially' national iJ;t ~haraoter:• Iappe&] . to my brethren ..to ••• study the ~ms. ai;td' . objects and the rUles 'and constitution 'of . . the Congi-~ss .. ·· Briefly. the Congress aims · at • liberating_. - the ,peoplei. , ,. ·,from.· r,. ~avery.. . and exploitation, or, in.other words~ the· . .. - . Congress aims .at . being' able to fe~ . Iridia.'• . hungry ' millions .· and ciothe India's naked millions. _l ~want you~ to · 'j:ead the history .. of • Islam, and .. as~ you ..· . . to consider what the .... Prophet's .. · missio~. ··was. ·It waa .to. fre~ the ()ppresse ,-- i~ . . . ·,~_;,~,.~,·iCHAPr.EB _V:-z_;·}--t · ·!' ·-L .. t. /·~;. .'-.~.~-:: .-·. ''' 'xauiJ.r E.iiiDitifdA.Ba' ,,;,,,.;~.. . . _t'_. '-<';;:·-· - i:;·,.J' ~ ... .-· ., __ ~-~-~.: !: ·-·:: _"\(:-·:·.:<"·. ~-: "/ .. ON hia' release fron:L jail ill'I924; Khan: ·Abdul·· Gaffar· Khan · ··settled'"' '.down to· the ·quiet. ·iwork ·of social · .Teformj ,though he did attend the 'Various· sessions . of the Congresa,< Remarkably · limpled.D , his h.abit.s, and . unassuming to• & :.fault;· . \• .there is no .wonder. that he should ·not ~· ' have "attracted"<;'much.: attention ·.~nd · · · · certainly 'escaped the glare 'of limelight., But as we know already, he could not quite·~ · escape it ui his province:· We have seen . in ·. how '1921 •. he had established . a ....~ .. · . . national achool in · Utmanzai•.. It is': this· •· _.. ·school· which •. turned ··out .: numerous· ···.·workers and which' suffered.. in '1932 the .. : : aame fate· ai the . Gujarat Vidyapitb in.. · · · Ahmedabad. : These workers may be ai.id ·· . to be the nucleus of the vast 'organisation that some 'yem later came to be' known" as ·the Klnulai . Khidmatgar&.' .. · Being . · · eBBentially a ·man ·of God, ~ Kbansaheb could not think of ani other. "name J~r' ·.· '· - ~- ~· . ' . .;,_; _, ·.,_- ' ' ·- . "" 48 TWO SERVANTS OF GOD his · volunteer band, a.nd a. more appro· pria.te name than Khut!ai Khtdmatgar~r Stlrva.nts of God-could not have been chosen. These volunteer ·workers were at first intended entirely for the work of social reform, · e.g., weaning the Pa.thans from lawlessness and loot, · educating them, making marriages etc. less expen sive, and so forth. It was in 1929 that the Khansaheb decidtld. to turn the small ~ody of workers into· a -full-fledged political. organisation to carry out the whole pro·· gramme of the Cpngress .. The. name "Red Shirts" is just ·a ca.se of giving a dog a. bad name and then hanging him. It is possible that the fine vernacular name .was found jaw-breaking by some officials who had no knowledge of the vernacular. Ready to see red in any· thing ca.lcula.ted to organise the com· mun1ty, they saw something "red" in the red shirts I The Brothers tell me that the uniform was originally pure white khaddar. · When it was found that the white khadda.r looked dirty in no time, it was decided to give the uniform the .brick colour which can ha.rdly be de· · - 10WI>A:(·XRID111A.TGA.RS · ,. ,. ' ecribecl ~:red. 1 The brick ciolo~ hu ~o' -·- -· ·.. connection ; whatsoever ·,·1Vith" the.; red . ·· colour of Soviet. Russia. · ; > . f ~ 7· <. : • :5 . ~ ~ .. . ·~ ' ---- .,. 60 T)VO SE&V.Al;ITS OF GOD . · In :Aprill930 .there wer.e not .mo~ than 500 Khudai Khidmatgart, but the arrest of the Khansa.heb gave a_ fillip to the movement. There were shootings and. numerous lathi charges which far from: suppressing the movement popularised it. I . cannot go into the details · of these shootings and la~hi charges. Even if I had all the evidence· before . me and !e~ure to sif~~ld ~ .... ualb t:o- put ... lFl)·eroretne puohc wh1lst . the whole movement of Civil Disobedience is -under. suspension and. when its author is trying to deVise Jileans of preventing a renewal; if it may be .at. all possible to do BO. Suffice it to say that the Brothers have ohapter and. vers.e in support of the ·atatemen~ -made in the suppressed literature p:ublis!led in vindication of the Brothers .and the band of volunteers. The elder brother was an eye-witness to ~any of the terrible thW,gs- he has de scribed to me, but with the consent of both the brothers, since the Civil Disobe dience movement is suspended, I prefer to draw the curtain over the whole of the tragic events, . - ·. • - • • '- • ·.. - • .~' --. : -·~·~· ~:·. ·o.! -·_..' ';;" >' But one thing may not be passed o~ert. The, •~;harge has bfficia:ny beer( levelled • · against the volunteers ohiolerit'cm1duct:. ·.. . Durin~ the whole period 'of 1930-3:fnot a· ... ~ngle concrete·case of actual violence·,.ori · the' part. of . the ·••Reci Shirts'' .. ·was'• ad~ ' · dnced. " The Peshawar. happenings ·•·. hi ' · .April 1930 were the subject of two .in~ quiries; official &nd non~officia.1, and; while · both ·the ·Sttleiman Committee•a·iu1d' the · PaM Committee's repo~s .conta.m some-· · blood-curdling '· !1-ccounts of . a 'ghastly . ·tragedy that was enacted· there, there i~ · no mention, in eithe!' of the repo~:ts' 01'-.ift.,,,. · "the evidence tendered bl"_any of.the offi~ · ... eia.ls;"' 'of'""''any 'KAudai Khidmatgar1 or . ••Red ··. Shirts." The ·.worst ' tbat ' ·· the - · Government had to say-about them· was . ; the following in a. proclamation issu6d by · the Chief Commissinner 'Of 'the · Pro'vizioe ' in May 1930:~~·You must prevent Congress"': volunteers,' weariilg red --j~kf!ts, · from· · . entering your. villages. ' They. call. them~ •-. selves ~Khu.dai Klaidmatgara·· (8ervanta of . God).;· .. ~But . in ' reality thev · are· the . · ' - ... ' . ' ·-- ' ~ . ·, servants of Gandhi.· 'They wear the dress · . · of Bolsheviks. They will ·atmosphere &f:! yo~ hs>Y'~ heard in the Bolshevik dominion." What exactlv is meant by the statement that they' are "nothing but Bolsheviks" it is diffi· cult to say, but not one of the numerous offic!al communiques that were issued after the 23rd April tragedy attempts to implicate any of"them in it. Father Elwin did see soxne officials during his. brief visit in 1932 and all that the latter seem to have alleged against the Khudai Khid matgars amounts to this: (I} Some police' officers in the districts were insult.ed and abused; (2) stoneli and dung were thrown into .their cars; (3)' stones and brickbats provoked the shooting at Kohat. In a movement· the whole strength of which lies in its non-violence, it would not do to minimise even these offences if they were rea.lly oommittAd. ·Rut it must not be for gotten that the one security· against offences of this kind was removed by Go;ernment arresting all responsible leaders, and that these offences are negligible when we remember· the .terrible insults and humiliations heaped upon a brave people. · ·. -lmUDAl KBIDMATGARB o3 ' • •, ~ - I::~ ·-·"; .•, Need , I· discuss here . the ~tory of the numerous apologies said to have . been given by tile .. "Red Shirt'~ prisoners .in order tq secure a·eleaaet. The di"c11118ion . ,oulct land · me into a ·~ather detalle THE INDIOTMENTdND TBUTH WHAT then is the Khan Brothers• offence? All official statements are silent about the elder brother, Dr• · Khan• sahib,· whose crime would seem to f>e that he is the brother of.one who had beco~e so notorious in the eyes of Government. Here are some of the eharges against the. younger brother. (I) "Mter Mr. "Gandhi left for the Round Table Conference, he made an extensive tour in the d¥!tricta leading the Congresa movement at the request of the Working Committee of the Congress." . ' (2) He disobeyed prohibitory orders and t_oured the villages, delivered political harangues in mosques, under the pretext of religious sermons. (3) He preached non-payment of revenue and water rates and persuaded people to refuse . to take Government .THE INDICTMENT AND THE TRUTH .. ·.Gli . ' · eana.I water, ·-. (4) The Red· Shirts- ,were·"~ ·revolu· tionaey organisation, the object of which ·. is to . drive. the British out of Ilidia by · force/' and that the Kha.nsaheb was With their help carrying on propaganda. ~ c tli~ tribal areas. .•' •· ...... ·.. ---·<.,'-.-- ·~-.t~- 1-•·:t-'• -:c -~,.· -• ·· " tsyt Th~ Moll~and te'riitolj had ~en · . .affected by the· Congress' propaganda fn Peshawar~ ,;_, · ., •. .' -- ;;_.: ~~-~~ :,·:·;-··,-~. ·~;; :.i ··;J ;-,_.c~1r:-"'; .... , • - · . · (6) · . The Provincial Congress. Commit•,• . iee repudiated the< Premier's declaration·· of the ·'1st . December 1931 and. repeated .· . the demand for Indian Independence, .·.: and 'the ·Brothers rejected the invitation · ·· to it.ttend the Chief Commissioner's Durba.r•. · , '·' . . ,. - '-... ' . .. "' '. - > ~. ., _- -_,. -.- .. ' .. ' - ~-- :· . .. . · .; ·.. (7) Though. stress was laid on the .. · ·.. observance. of non~viclence,' people. :'were encouraged to e:q>ect some great 'event,' to be united in anticipation:' of it, ·and' · ·; to be ready to resume the struggle which' . · wa.a delicribed as war•. · · '" · ...... ·-· "' " .'1-' .:"-C; ~ ;. > -~ '~- < : .. · (8) .. The Khansaheb had always : de• " acribed the Truce as temporary. . ·.f n·; . ~ -. 06 ·.· > TWO SE:a.V.ANTS OFGO]) · · (9) He had said at a Cp.Q.ference .. j~ Meerut th~t he had. joined, the Congress pecaulie both the. .Congress and he had .the .same object, viz., "to drive thll British out of India." (iO) The Khudat Khidmatgara had interfered with the law, by compounding cases, or administering juetice, or with· holding evidence. The first, sixth, eighth imd ninth "Charges would ·be. admitted by the Khan· sit.heb at once and no serious effort would .be made to account these as offences peculiar to him. Many a leader who has been held. guilty of these charges is free to-day and has no prohibitory orders against him. That be preached non-pay· ment of revenue, etc. in certain cases is true, but he did so not because there was any no,tax campaign-he himself paid the revenue on his own land-but because the parties in those cases were unable to pay. The second, fourtl{aud fifth charges have no foundation nnd it was open to Gov!lru· ment to prosecute the Khansaheb under ' THE INDic:rMEN't AND THE TRUTH _ 57 · . ? ' ·, v. • ·- the o.rdinal'J' law. -• He. &tautly repudiates · the charge that he ever preached. ilr ; countenanced' force . &rid deClares- thllt• if.t he • had -· done io. the movement ·would easily have taken_· a v~olent turn 1Viuch_ it never did. · The · last charge is a com~ ...... · pliment to the ·"Rtid Shirts" rathef th~n · a ·.discredit for them,· · It only showi.how well-Organised was the ·· movement,~ how - :.the'. "Red Shirts... had . carried ; out . . · effectively tho principle of non-co-opera~ . . · tion with law-courts, - which the other.- · · provinces he!d in comm!>n with ~hem but ·-· had ··nflver been ·able to carry out· 'effect- . .. jv~l:~ .· _·;: -·_'~. :(\ ' , .· .''.-' ..• ;: The ninth cha.tge is worth discussing . in- some•,, detail• -· because the· Meerut.' ,_ . apeech was the one thing that the. Home .. · · · Secretary •:. ;,.,. ·.· ' ·.• F .ACTS ENGLlSHJIEN. MUST KNOW .··. . ~UT : t~e ~h~rges : ~ have consl~e~d are :. three . years :.old now. . As .thoilgh three · · years"' ·imprisonment. · wit.hout trial was · not ·enough puniShment for those . unfounded.. ' charges, the. : ,latest · traducer : of . the : Kharisaheb, ,: Sir ·' · · Micha.el ·.O'Dwyer, ·.. in·.. ·an·, article . · in the .Morning Posr,; has formulated a : few more and . blamed Goyernment .. for ,having accorded the rebels· even · · restricted 'liberty. The ex-satrap, who spent his early years in the North·West .Frontier Province And claims to know. the·.. ·.. province and :its leader better than Gov• · ' ernme.nt, has , tried tO shed more . "light.~' by identifying the Brothers witli terrorisih \and Communism; des Now.for a few facts. Let me say at once that there is as much relationship between the Khansaheb i.nd the Haji of Thrangzai as between him and his malig· ner, Sir ·Michael •O'Dwyer•. The Khan• -aaheb•s father-in-law was Sultan Muham• • . mad Khan of Rajjar, who, until he died, wa~ a J~ P., and whose services, perhaps, Government official& could tell. better than the Khans themselves. · How, then, : FACI'SENGLISHMENMUST XNOW .·. 63 has Bir Mi~ha.el · Iil.ixed up .the ·Haji ~f·. Turangzai with. the Khan'.s father-in-la.wf . ·I must try to explain. ,. The Haji belongi 'to Turangzai, • '9'illage within· ea.sy· dia:. .· tance of Utmanzai, the Khan's village. He became knOwn in lllllwhen he started hia own schools as instruments · for' social · reform. · Khan Abdul Ga1far Khan teadily . ··. · aun.,iated himself with' the ·· Haji, who may be regarded aa the pioneer of nation.,.: al.edaoation in the'. province. •·-This was/ . perhaps1 the time when Sir Michael was a junior oivilaervant in the'; province and; aa.the Haji came later on to' obtain a fearfal · n,otoriety, · Sir Michael think.a it fit to exploit his knowledge of the ;ol4 · association, and, as he does not.think it a · ain to sacrifice truth· fOI' pictaresqueness, he,makea the Haji the Khanaaheb•i' fa-· ther-in.law•. :. This is no place tnfollow ·the Haji'a fortunes, but· it.• is neceBB&zj. to . . note here the fact tliat the Haji'a schools· · were demolished in •19115 and that hi tied . .. ·hom his village and haa never birice 'r&. :turned•. ··He· was_, known ~ · h&v4! helped . ,the Afghans against the Britif.h; in 1919 -. , . . .and Khan Abdul Ga1far .Khan did meet M - TWO SERVANTS OF GOD hini on, his way to Afghariistan and· back when he "Jed the Khilafat· MuhajariM (pilgim-exiles) in. 1921; but since then he has never seen him or heard of him. So much about the Haji. Now regard· ing the Khansaheb's being in leaglie with the tribesmen:. It is necessary to note ·a few facts abo~t the tribal ~reas. _ These are·the mountainous regtoni beyond the five- British districts and up -to the Baluch-Hindukuali. -border, known · as "Independent territory" and comprising nearly twice. the area of the British dis tricts and having. about the same popu· lation-all Path&ns speaking the same dialect' Puahtu, with slight variations. The "independence" of these areas is a miSnomer. The Governor of the British districts is the Governor-General's AgPnt holding sway · over these areas, and tribesmen· often find themselves no ;better than pawns on the strategic .c_heas-board of the N.•W. Frontier. They a.r•f wild anjl untamed, and yet -they a.re· · not · ilo senseless aa not· to see the awakening. .that has been going on in .. FAm;EN_G~ MWl''~oW 65. ' ,- . ' ·- . ·- .. ~ . . . .; ' ' -:, '"'' -''. -,+ .•_,- -, - ,· ~ _)- , __ ; ·their. peighbourltoOd. ,, That .• a .. Path&n · • . could smilingly reCeive lathi blow• ,and. ;, · worse,: without. being provoked into a rage, -· .. ... wu nothing short of a Jnir&Cie to these .·· · tribesmen. : It :wu enough to . interest · · them uit did some in' the neighbourhOod. • to the extent .. ot joining . the . move- .· anent, and there was nothing atUJirising in · .. the depredators of the same race and :cree!l . wanting · to. be friends and wanting to ... throw off, a double yoke--the yoke'9f , . :the tribal chief .and .that of. the British · · . :who hold. him u ·a , vi.riual . vassal. . It . is the height. of .. folly :to Jmagine . that, in · ihe ~-·-~- presen,t age •. it.: ,,W'Puli,l · · '.be possible tQ play upan, the -ign~ra.D.~e. · of.: a·. ma.... of people.J '.The ,Khan• ·· saheb told me that from.t-he. contiguous ', · are&l{ of Malakand, ·:Bajor and S:wat th·e · • . tribesmen used to send their children to ' ;_ . the Ar.ad SChool founded by him: in; 1921" and that these tribes bad to llOUle extent identified . their . .toriunes ·.· with. . their brethren in the British districts. , Some . of. them did · joiD. the; Kl111lai Klidmal- .· 'gars !Uld went to jail during the Jasir cam pai~- · But. th~ . tribesmen'. beyond ; •· . . 66 TwO SERVAl\"1'3 OF GOD . .these areas were untouched. Klian Abdul .Gaffa.r Khan does not make it i. secret of his intention to -make all the tribesmen pea.ce-Joving 1md to weld the whole Fron· tier into & ,harmonious whole, But it is just a. dream. He has never 'been allowed to cross the Frontier, so much so that wheri Sjt. Devadaf!· G~ndhi visit-ed· the province in 1931 and 'wanted' io see the Chakdha.ra. Bridge,· whlc'¥ commands some of the most pict~squ~ scenery izi tlie world, the. Khansaheb. could not lndulge in the lun:rj: ·of providlltg 'thiS little entertainment to _his guest. The bridge is just beyond & ' .stretch of . road -which passes through the Ma.lakand Agency and Sjt. Devadas Gandhi made it clear to the officers in charge that ·the Khansaheb and he' wanted to _go there just for the pilrp-ose of sight-seeing. This could _np~ be dorie in the absence of 'preVious arrangement I All that we hear at the • present moment about the tribesmen -is that. the British districts ·are ·often the -victims ol their depredations. •Let Sir -Michael O'Dwyer know that the Khan· saheb's fa.ith in· non-violence is so· great·. ' /•• .· ;~ . FACTS ENGLISliMEN.MUSTltNOW ',· IJ'l I, \·, '• .and his ~leghmoe'to-Gandhiji. so .p~rfect ·· that .the KhansaJ!.eb once.-thought· it ·fit~-· t& ascertain whether in case. of an-attack by · dacoita· 40f- bandits Gandlliji:wouid - .. ·. allow a ·Klvudai Khidmatgar ' tac·u~e · force in ·aelf-defenee: .. ' .~ '.. : _, ·~"lll;: · t .~~·. · ...... ,, ._ -· A-~-· ~- ... •.•' < .. " ...: : 'j_ ..... ·.. - ::..-- _,.,.:.. -L-~ ._ "" . . _· .. What a gross (l&~Uin~y ,is, cont~in~ ;in . _ ·that statement of SU' .lhcha~J... _wherem ,he ·Sa.ys thaf'the Khansaheb ..openly ,sneers · . at Gandhi's non-iiolence ··cant. .. • Wilt . be · ; apparent '.tr~ &-statemen~ 'oh'h:e Khan! · . ·aaheb~m&ile' ·~ 1931.' 'The·· ,Kha.nsaheb · :never 'deirle~ that . hi;_'pro~fnce .>is :more .. ... murderous" than.., other; provinces; . as ,. · a Goveriimenfi report declared . the other··· · 'day. ''liuF' he ·also detlla.res it ·to< . the world~ tba't• it' :is' to"' ma'kl( ft 'less • .inurderous; aild" if' pOssibl8; to rid it iit a-u· _:violence ·~~ond, ui,nrder ~at he has adopted .·... . non-violence . aa·a; creed •..·.Nothirig. but non: violence 'can' bring · peace to that .. di.Btracte cognise the fervour and. sincerity of Khan saheb's own words iD. this connection uttered as far back aa 1931 and publishe~ in Young India dated June 11, 1931 •. "My non-violenoe has almost become a matter of faith with me. I believed in Ga.ndhiji'a oAimsa before. But the unpa.ralleled aucceas of the experiment in my provinoe has made me a confirm. ed champion of non-violenoe. God willing, I hope never to aee my provinoe take. to violenoe. We know only too well the bitter reeulta of violenoe from the blood-feuda which apoil · our fair n&mll· We have an abundanoe of violenoe in our nature, It ia good in oUt· own interest& to take a training in non-violence. Moreover, ia not the P&than amen• . able only to love and· reason! He will go with you to hell if you can win hia heart, but you can not force him evan to go to heaven. Such ia the power of love over the Pathan. I want the Pathan to do unto othere as he would like to be done by. It may be I may fail and a wave of violenoe may aweep over my provinoe. I will then be content to take the verdict of fate against me. But it will not shake my ultimate faith in non-violenoe which my people need more than anybody else." And now for a few facta about the Khana• family which must disabuse the Britisher of all fears about their anti• • DR. JUIANSAHIB, CHILD JOHN, MRS. MAY KHANSAillB CPJwto taken when Dr. Khansahib u:CJS in. ... . ·. . . active Bervice durfng the W at•) - ' - /- FA.Cl'S ENGLISHMEN MUST KNOW 6~ · British temperament or "activities: I • shall introduce to the reader some of the. ' · principal members of the Khans' family"' ~ . The_ reader knows,· of colll'll8, that the· elder KL.an has an English wife•. ·.. He may not know that when she was in·lndia, · before the iuiprisonment of her huaband, her house (now acquired .by Government for a pittance) was open tO all kinds ~?f .. friends . among whom . there were : nu• , . meroua offici&Ja. . The wife of the.. present ·.·. Govemor, Col. Sir Ralph ~riffith, used _to - be a great friend of hers and the . Colonel himself, was • not unoften .the Doctor's est. . .. :· .. .· . ' . gu ! . ' ,-._. . •'-. .. One of. Dr~ Khansahib's aona has just passed his London Matriculation and pro•• poses to proeecute Ilia; studies at Oxford. . His own daughter and Khan Abdul G&ffar. ·Khan's own daughter, who waa until a .. •. month ago in Mrs. Khansabib's care both read in an Engliah '. achool.. ·'The elder Khan'a ·eldest·.. son_ (by his. first wife), .. · Sadullah Khan, finished his education and · . took hie degree in CiYil Engineering from ;: -.. · . Loughboroilgh · Engineering' College ·and •.. •· ' - ., - '' .. ·~ ' . 70 TWO SERVANTS OF GOD returned . from ·England. in .. 1930. The second son, Obeidulla Khan, who ls now known throughout India.. by· his 78 days' hunger-strike, learnt ; tanning in 111 Madras . college and had ob tained his passport to go to England for further· education in tanning when· he was arrested for non-payment of rent.. Khan .. Abdul Ga.ffar Khan's eldest son spent two years in England and several · years. in America lea.I'I$lg sugar-refining; in order that he might be useful on his paternal estate (which has · now, under the Ordinance rule, gone to pieces), and was until a little while. ago in Poet Tagore's· Shantiniketan. His second son until a few days ago was in Col. Brown's school at Debra Dun, from which he passed his Senior Cambridge examination. His youngest son is still in this school •• .,. I mentioned Rev. Wigram in· an ' earlier chapter. Both the brothers were the ."good clergyman's pupils and both FACI'S ~GLISnM]:N MUST KNOW · 71· . m11 ch~rish .hi& me~~ry •.. When.· they.· grew ·up, they,kept up their acqua.int~nce; .· . with .the Wigrams;. which .fip~ned, .jpto close friE;ndship,_ and );>r. Khansahib . !!till recalls . ~ith gratitude that Jt' Wltil: . entirely du~ to the good offices .oJ. p.,:. Wigram, · · Rev:,. Wigram's _brother, and · now: the Principl!-1 of. the Livingstone, ~liege, that he coul!f get admission ._ into, . St. Thomas' HO!!pitaJ in ,London•. Dr•. Kha.nsahi_b has.· numerous .friends ·in ' the- Indian Medical· Servi=-towhich he ' once belonged. .Some of. the · Brothers' · English frien!fs cont!nue to. be friendly and write affectionate letters. ' . . '. -··' Dr.· Khansahlb is a: ,me~ber of th~· . P~hawar Club, · the member!J of which , are almost all I¢Iitary. oflicers, and. is a: . Scout Comqliasioner, J am writing this .. open to correction, .Jest he should haVe . • 't • - -- y • been · removed from the Club. and the • Scout -Commissionership_ durmg }rls. in~ carceration. l · have. already ,mentionedJ his relations \Vith ~he' officials, (even tl~e high~st) before ~is inc~rceration. During ' the incar!J6ration ;M~.:)tobe~ J~ro~.a .. 72 TWO SERVANTS OF GOD Scotch ·and a high official in the Agricul· tural Department whq' in .the· course of his duties used to •tour the whole ·. provinpe ~~:nd who has now retired; wrote · to Dr, Khansahib from Australia. (his wife's home) a friendly letter in which he · recounted the old da.yll of happy friendship and mutua.l liospitality and, referring to Kha.n Abdul Gaffar, Khan, said: "I have never met amore noble and kind-hearted gentleman than Abdul Gaffar Khan.'; I am giving these pemnal details, just to tell the reader that these contacts withdhe English people and this willingness on the part of the Bro· thers to give their children education in British surroundings, are not things which one is" accustomed to associate with "Afghan revolutionaries'' and "organisers of a Soviet Republic." Let me also tell the reader that a fanatical section of the Muslim press in the Punjab has not only not spared the Khans for their advocacy of Hjndu-Muslim unity, but questioned their allegiance to the Muslim faith on the ground of their having sent theiJ." children to England and America for education I FACTS ENGLISHMEN HUS'l KNOW . · 73 • • 1 • • . -· ' ., . ·.. AI ·fot the desire imputed to . them t~ . ·establish a Soviet Republic,• let .. it 'also,·. be noted that the extracts from· the · younger Xh~n's- speeches. ~t Govem~ .. · m.ent have published contain no reference · · to the Soviet system or· to Russia •. ':pie ' la.st thing they want in India and ' in the Frontier Province • is · Bolshevism. , They . 'frankly dread the soviet as much as they . dread the British Raj and would gladly .. ~ stt'cdcnrn-tcithe qniet-work of· revival of . village' · cOmmunities . in. their districts .. . after .ivhich they have set theit'. hearts. "There are numerous Weavers in our parts, • but i they · · are .· slowly dying. : out," . · ' said the : Khansaheb one of these·days, ,, "and I · should be ,.· deeply thankful .. if I could spread .the · gospel of the spin·• ning' wheel in our districts." · There are .· a.bo~;~t. three thousand villages in the five districts . of the . Pt"ovinoe. and there is practically no village that the Khansaheb has. not visited •. "'But .it is no use my : talking abou~ the wheel.unless I learn .·to. spin and do itregularly · myself," said . :. he and. sat down to le&rQ spinning. and· began ·. t? spin good,. • ev~ · w~?·twisted ; ·• -~ 7.& . TWO SERVA...'ITS OF GOD~· yam in three or four days. "Show. us a truer socialist than Gandhiji," they say to whoever comes. to argue the socialist theory wit~ them, "and we shall follow him." And they look back to the . days when there u~ed to be a periodic redistri bution of hol$lings in their dis tricts. "The Khanship, which is only another word for a kind of zomindar,, is the creation of the British," said 'the younger Khan to me, as he was discussing· · this redistribution of holdings which I did not quite. understand. "Every such Khan ship or zamindarf was created in order to serve _as a prop to the new administration ·that was being established, and I say this in spite of the fact that my grand father as a Khan was thus placed in pos session of hundreds of acres of land. This happened some twenty-five years after the establishment 9f British rule • in'l848. Before that we used to have a ji;ga of. all the Khans .who . numbered all the villages and plots of land in every village and then_ca.st. ~ots. Ev~ry twenty · , l!'Acrs ..n"GLL8moonrr1sT :KNo\f ·· 75< >r · ·ye~s ··. this thing used tri hap:ptlnL .Ali; ·· · dncludi.ug the Khan, used to possess ' . practically the s~me . size of holding' and •. .· .whole populations used to transfer them~·· · selves· fro!ll. one.. ·village.to,anothtll",under •.. this-' redistribution system. I could "D.ot· . . ..· t~ink ot a. purer ~ocialism than this:" · CHAPTER vm THE WHOLE F-AMILY IN PRISON. BUT. I must summarise rapidly the de tails ·before the Brothers' final inde· finite imprisonment. It would be tedious to disou1111 in detail the question as to who was responsible fQr the breach of the Truce, even if we oonfiD.e it to the N.-W. Frontier Province. It is impossible to have . aoouratp· details_ either. Let us remember,' however, that even during the Truce the Khudai Khitlmatgars were mar· ked out for special persecution for fa.ilure to pay the land revenue, though there was no no-tax campaign, the Khans having paid the revenue due from them. I am omitting reference to numerous oases of persecution of a gruesome nature because the purpose of this. book is neither to rake up the past nor to frame an indict· ment against G.overnment. Two compara tively ~d !J&Ses may, however, be cited, one because it refers to a member of the THE WHOLE FAMILY IN P~ON, .. · ?7 . - o •• • - • 1- ' • •. • . 'Khan family, the other because it is one of those where the facts have not been disputed. Mazulla · Khan's · case.:. is well-knoWn.' ·A . leading ··. land1ord . and ·.a KAutlal ·:Khidmatgar,. he was put in the lock-up. as a. defaulter•. He wrote to the .authorities saying • that·. he . had no intention to. withhold payment and that he would trY to pay' up ai soon as possible~ · . For a sum of & ,2,000 due from him, a · motof car,' a tonga, a horae, an(( ·three · . . . .bu1Jaloee belonging .to him were attached. • After hili .release hia .. crops were attached . and b&lly his ; laud • . worth . over . · · &; 1,50,000 ·.·.···was··.· 'attached: Obeidulla · Khan; · ··.·the ,·elder ·· Kh&n'a·.., ..:...~.secon.d son, who · has already been referred to hi '· · the foregoing chapter, had a large amount ·.. due .from him on. land standing hi his · · name. He had paid the . bulk of it; .. and ·. Rs. · 300 •. was .. in arre::.rs. . He was · : &rr.ested ·for~ this · failure and put. · in ' · a lock-up in Charaadda which' .waa ·so· ·· indescribably filthy that he thoug~t it.. ·. fit to refuse all food ratheJ:. than ·put up' with those conditions.<· The. teriJl. of hia ·· imprisonment waa a. month· and -a half. . 78 ',l'\VO SERVANTS OF GOD. He had to be ~n hmiger_-strik8 for.38' days 'before the' conditions were improved; and Within a. couple '.of days thereafter he. was ·~eleased. ·He went through his conVales cence under his father's care for a month and:tJlen.:~t.}o his village where he . wail ai'rest~!;l_•;, ~der the Ordinance. . . .'. .~:-;·~ .-. <~:.·:\ · In th~ ... S~~itill(Iue justifying the Ordinance the -;K.~~a''·'Brothers are blamed for several·-~ " · ·commission which I ' . '-.- /. . . have sum~muised in Chapter. VI. Until. 23rd l>eceml:!e:J; when they were· invited ·to attencl the Durbar these sins obvi- .ously had 'not assu!lled the alarming pro· portions they did on account of their refusal to attend it. No wonder that they should hav~ instinctively refused to accept the invitation when they knew. that humiliations and insults were. being poured upon the rank and file. But that gave Government the signal to promul· ·gate the Ordinance and to ·arrest the Brothers with all the ·important members ·of the family. The refusal to attend the Durbar is cited as one . of the reasons for ·the promulgation of . the; Ordinance. • . • JAW.AHAULAL NEHRU, DR. KBANSABID, JBEWANL.AL KA'J'JU (Photo taken in Lon!lon. tn 1910) ~. -. :., .. . ' . - /· - ~ THE WltOI.E'FAMILY IN PRISON -•:19. ~.. . -; :~- . . ' ' . ' ·· . Would not tlie ·Ordmance· have · been!" • ; ' promulgated - if .. they had . attended .· tb~ --.Duiba.rt ~ Th&' · younger. · bl,'other ···•_1'4ad · ·arranged to go: to Bombay to see Gandhi]C who waa' expected to retUrn on the 29th . . December~\ The•elder had: an· mvitation·-· .· .from ;E'andit''Jawaharia.l Nehru~· vhoae ,: •personal fii.endiihip he bad ·made in· the · ~days of his 'study in J..bndQB, to go , and ·.. .. "Spend· ··the:; Christmas . holidays ·· ~"!!!!L -him in Allahabad; 'and. he.- wa! 'tliliiking · -· :of ·.. going · tlier~ • But .• Government ·· ; ·had,. arra.Dgea' a different -ChriStni&s for. -·· ·.. them;: The· Brothers ·were· arrested on ·the night ot the 24th and taken· tO Attock· Bridge .. "Dr. 'Kliatis&hib's · eldest •• sor.i, >' ·Sadulla ·Khan; 'who -ha.d just' retntned- . '_···-fro~ Eng~arid : •and ; ~com-e .~St)CJ!mti'. '• · .<~f the ·.Provincial Congress Committee. · - was also &.nested .and put on> the~ same~~ . special ! : · ·.If th~ younge~~an ha~ been aJ_lowed. :: to go to Bombay and if Pandit Jawa.ha.r.. · · 1&1 Nehru had not been arrested on his .. , way to Bpmbay, the historj of the i"ast . · three·yea.n~ might have been'dilferent~ _If. · Gandhiji had been &llowed im interView · · with Lord Willingdon even a.fter these two . important arrests, . which. were ... most Hagrant brea.ches · of . the. Truce . and . : constituted a ·clea.r indication of Govern• _· .inent hostilitieS,· even then· perhaps. thet . · history would · have· __ }ee_JL_~if!_eren~. , . .~ G ...dMji wanteclnothing more than a·dia· .. cussion of the question of the breakdown : of . the Truce and was 'desperately ' . anxious to · revive · it, .If. -pOBSible. . · Within 'a few days of· hii iinprisonment · he wro~ from jail a letter imploring Lord Willingdoit to allow )lim the interview. •· . even aa a prisoner•. but the Viceroy dis •. Oa.ined even to vouchaa.fe • reply. Reason· •,. or xio reason, Government were determin... ed to . crush. the . .Jnovement and they · could not a.ftord· ~-have any truck.with · rebela: -·· · · ·- · · · . .~ . .,, . - ~-, '<'/ -, ,_. ' "'' .. ' . .-:. ·- -~·"": _(.'<, • -~ • ... - ···- ·- ~ '_, ,,_ :i.- ,:, ,t . ·~.,; ,The brave Obeidulla Khanha4 ~ead.J . , • - 'r.:··· :·_. -- ., , _.. .. ·~ .- .. ~ . 82' TWO SERVANTS OF GOD ~afn,~d $. bad ·:na.II!.e · by his 3S days' liwi'ger-strlke~ He 'ivaS taken to Ludhi· a.na., then. to Mult!J.n, · and thE:nce after Qonsidera.ble 'public agitation to Sia.lkot Ja.il,·whe~ hiS health improved and where the climate seemed to suit · him. But within a. short time he wa.'s again transfer: red, in spite of his protest, to Multaii. Jlill, where immediately on arrival on'the 1st of February, 193~, he declared a. hunger strike for Government's persistent refusal to keep him in a pla11e which suited h~ health.' The duration of the strike. was unpa.ralltlled in the history of this move ment for freedom' and 'naturally drew the attention of the whole country. It lasted for 78 days. . Government made successful and unsuccessful attempts to feed him forcibly. Perhaps they succeeded when· he. was· unconscious and failed a.s soon a.s · he was conscious,. but they had to yield a.t ·last to the iron dete.rmina.· tion·.. of the Pa.than ·.whose life or sanity the hlinger-strike· had :failed to· a.tiect; Any other man in these ci.roumsta.nces would · have been dead or demented. :A"t~·;;the' · ~nd, ·of ·.:7s days,· he· was THE. wHOLE 'FAMn.Y.'ni)>fusoN · 83 . r~JJ1~ved: to si.llkot.: Jail ;in·, a!leorda.nc4i . With.' hil •demand ·&n,d thete' he remained ·... until -~·release on 18th 'August.·:·.···:··.:'>. ', ~ . 'J . -~: ·-:.: -; ~l .•• ·'.t~' ~- .. t: -·,,_. '., :' ----· ~- :\.. ~.: .,, · Obeidulla. : Khan's . is· an instance , to record, :_ hardly . one , to •·fo1low. : ::n. '. could not' come nnder .the •strict :defini~ . · tion ·of Satyagraha, and if he had .taken: the opinion· of the .apostle of. Satyagrahai ' . before he went on hungeHbriko. ho might .. · not have .been given the permission.' Bnfi. he ·.followed .. the trnth as he'l!aw it•. :The value of hill act :lies. in his grim determi.... ·nation .and his·~ readiness :to: throw his. · .life away.· for' the '·sake of it•. , "J,'he elder KhAn proudly narrat'ea the .story of.the son and aay11 ·.,The boy is ·a 'apecimen·i o! . •. · rare courage : and. · daring.u •· 'But . 'the. ·. courage , of the. father·· and the uncle alSo :. · ·, dellervee to be mentioned in this connee.= . · tion. : The Brothers wer~' both ill HazarU · bag Jail folloWing the 'progress of .ObeidJ · ina ·Khan's: fast :from· the ne\\lllpapera . ' wlieneTei--theetf .cared to. print r~ports of his'he'altli.: 'Oqvernment never· informed th~ 6.£ ·the·• boy'•. health~, ·.Nefth~·· did · they care . to apply·· to ~·aoVer:nment . ~- •. . 1 • ~ ~ , M · TWO SERVANTS OF GOD for permission ·to . see · him or to per• suade him to give up the fa.st. When day after. day reports began to come that death wa.s certain, the Brothers decided to send instructions as to how the dead body should be disposed of and where ·it should ·be buried ..~.f.·.'!'eJneJilber aright, within a daj'.: -~~"ijj&'&;e"j.(ilU.Ietter being sent co~~ki(~ea~, .:~;ist:#c~ns the' news ctfmff"' tha.ti Obeidu""' · lilti . won and hi\~ braken' his' 'tUt .. ·ib:1sialkot ·Jail. . , ~'"· \ • , o')'• "' '.) In\ spite- - !ll. ~~··,XPPticiating .ordeal that 'til~- . soh~<) :~emore than the son the .,fatlier · and the uncle, had to go through, let. nie aay that there is no bitterness in the mind of the Brothers. The. proud father· was smiling as he narrated to me the story; there w~ no bitterness and no loathing a.& he gave me the details and at the .end of it he said:, "But· there is one thing about .this .Govern.tttent. . They treated him wonder fully well after the breaking of the fa.st~ The care they took of hilll left nothing to be desired an!l it is this i!ter•care for :which I am grateful, For th&t saved his life," · t.J!;EJlll.LL.\ KIL\S '>: ~' . . ' ·: ' . - . ' -'- . ·., _,·:-_ . '1'HE WHOLE MF.JliiLY 1N PRISm{ · ss : . ·. ·~ A w~rd ·about the yo~est lo~ rit· , . J>r, Khansahib•. ·· Hidayatulla Khan is a:·· atudent in the Grant Medical College )n · Bombay... - He had • gone to. tTtmanza.i · just to enjoy his holidays •. He had taken. no part in the movement and was due to · · go back ·.to the College. · But he too wa.i ·. ·· taken into custody. under tM .ordinance : and sufiered ·~ months' imprisonment•. , • . ' . .CHAJ'TER IX OH.A.BACTEJUSTICS iTis these broihers that ~re bracketed to-:day· ~th India's "p~blic enemies," whatever. that .Ani,e:.;icail phrase may mean. They have ' made unparalleled sacrifices. They ~ave gone through s)lffer· ' ing which few have experienced, and they have still before them years of service during which even their perpetua.l . imprisonment-certainly their freedom might be an incentive to their people to win their freedom. It is this that . alarms the British Government which might not hesitate to have them shot, if it had an iota of evidence to· prove that they had on any occasion preached or countenanced actual violence. The secret of their hold on· their people lies certainly in thei.P- · saorifices and their suffering, b1,1t more in their daily life. While the younger brother is a man of God, the elder is a knight 8aM peur ec ·· .·· CRARACl'ERISTICS. - S~ -,.q"::· '"=._. -'.. i- .---,·· ~·-. - -- _,/ -.' • ".ol { -~ . . I ' 7 • •' , . - • . .• ·.· - ~ , 8a11a r~proche. _~U untru~~ ~~ali~l•. sh,ow .· and glamour produce · ~n.: th.e~, · nQ~~g . but_ loathing: Borri aristocrats, they ha_v •.· taken to a .life · the · simplicity. ol- which it is. difficult to' surpass, 0 ,·. _· . ••.•. ·, ·· . . :: .·~e~th~ ;o~nger'Khan·~~t-~o•~a;~ dolim 1931, SardatVaiiabh'bli&iPatel and .. others,~: whO.• went to. receive hiDI.;~sbllght him ln yain iri 'th• a!eoond ela.sii co:iD.part:.:· . ments. · He cB.me: oullrom thtfthircl'clasa · · wlth a' small hand-bag 'in 'whicli' He hll.d Just.; change ofcldthes and a.·~time~ta.ble! Hii lobka like' a' tru:e jakirt a'.nd iS one! ·· , In the midst ·of the poorest· arid. humblest!· ·• ·" ot; hi!l. ·J>athan followets~'1t !would' be . difficJllt to· distinguish him from the rest'. . The transparent purity of hi& life; and 'hid _ hri.inility and selfiessness havif a.· mii.gicf • .. • ~ • ' 1 • " ... - _., ~- •• . ., ' • • • ;) -·-,,; "" •. °Fa& (llt. a beggar) lu term "led lor u.- wb6 •· ·-- J'ftire from f.he wwld and live a. life of the {. apiri~ · · · Ourioul;r euoagh U.. word Palunt hao aa · opPOBifle oipi. 8caa.oe. IReut.iDS oae wbo hu warldJy ponnnnna aDd who OOUDtli fa •he wor)d•. "'Patlul.,. i. not DOW a raoiaJ ilerm. .·(~ . whale- ho origiaalaipifioaooo ma;r ha-.. beoa. It &0111' - denotee lltatu•, and ia -.id ill ·Swat~· and Dir to_ deaoribe . one who p+ r 1 a ohforoot ill .U.. tribal -• 111>4 wb.: hao, ,_.., a ,.,loe ill tile vlllop ...d Vihal eoWlcila. O...Wholuoe-hie ...... ia..Ued. f - "'- •0 - 88 TWO SERVANTS 01!' GOD . to1,1ch ·about them. They give .him .the power to· evoke a devotion that asks no queatio)l.S but yields unflinching allegiance. ".All kinds of calumnies have been spread against -me by some of the Punjab Urdu papers,'' ·he said to me once; "there is a ·paper which loses no. opp.ortunity to make me out to be an. enemy of Islam." ,;But he lives. ·his life n.ndeterred by these calumnies. When . free he . knew no rest. He was always on· . , the · ~ove, devising · and preaching ways !toDd means for the upllit of the com:. J:Dunity, Ht~' -will not use a conveyance when he' can walk out the distance, he will select the cheapest means of tran· sport when he cannot do without it. He .eschews all luxuries and live& on the simplest fare. No wonder his example is infectlous wherever he goes~ H11 commands implicit obedience and unflinol\ing loyalty because he himself is a , model ()f these virtues. "l am a born soldier, . and I will die one," he said when he refuEled to countenance the move to have- him elected President of the . Clt!RAcmtiSTICS' : ; .• ·. so _.J. -~ .. >·.-~-. - .·_;,- -"··· ·-·~ r.~--- . ·Congress foi~lieyearl934,c~::Bath~:is·a·· soldier' who,,. bas'' .. tholisands j' ·upon know$ tht? ~am!ly so intimately; and·. who ~!J.B been both. his ·brother's g11,est and host .often .enough, shou1d allaw misrepre&ll~ta• tions c:if him and h~s intentions. to gd on without contradiction...... :But the . gre~tllllt thing in. ·him. is, t~ iny mind~ his spi:dtuality ·or better· still the t:.:U.e spirit of lslam, viz .. , submi«sion 9~,s~rend~r to Gerd. He .has .measured Gandhiji'slife all t~ough l'l'ith .this y~f].~· stick and his cling~g · ·to Ga.ndhiji 'c'a.n ·be-explain.ed on.noother ground. It .is not Gandhiji's na~e an.d fame. that have ·-. . ' . .·.J i · ~~ottra.cted 1Um to G!Uldhiji, nor his political wor~. nor his spirit. pf rebellion 8.1!-d. revo l'ution. It is" his pure and l).scetio life and his insistence:. on self-pmificaiion that have had the :·greatest appeal' for him, and his whole life since 1919 onwards: has been 9n~.. ~n~a.ined e~ort: for ~eJ!-pur~!Ja• tion. I have. the, pririle~. of :having .·llo D.Uml)er ·of ~ue!j,)ma.n :friends, ·true . as • _steel ~nd ready, ,,to sacrifice their- all for Hindu-M~ unity and. for... the moth:~~l!J-Dd, b.v-t. .I do. ~Qt yet know.. on.e .who 'is· grea.te;r. t~-l Clf: :eyen: equ~.! !.q . .. ·.)c CRARACIERIS'I'tCS ' '• ' 01 ~ -~ ._ ~- . '~ -- '. : -._· -· :' ... : Kh&~. -Abd~t .•. ,G,;Jrar ::Kha.n ~ ~.,.t~~ Jr~II~P~reJif/. Purl~Y· ;1!-nlf: l :th., . asce~~~ .. ·· !lever.itl: , o( ,his,- life. combine~ bw1th . • ,e:itreme tenderness ot .feeling. ,and .living ·.faith iii''(lod. ~- •·w:he~evJr • questiQ)l of ·great pith and moment arises' in Gandhi: . · .ji'a life.&nd G,andhiji_ ~- &n .Jmpoi:tant deciSionl' ,he plaid to. me: one~,-~·~ insti,nct: : ive~y: ~ay to ,my,self,,'~A.a~ -ill .1-h~ 4~~ioQ .·· of ODe who: hu , BUlT&ndered himsel,l: tq :. <;lod, and. G.~ .neve!! g;;.iilet:h ill.';. J. have. . .·take~ all :9andhiji'!l-fa.sta, as,.,up.question• ··~bly directed ,by.God/', :WhenpqJ1-es~iOJ!.e4 ·about· ,Gandhijf&(&t&tement •on )lis;· pi;~ posed. re~irement,· .he. said:: ~·I ~ am•, IJ.()*. surprised that he pas ,come. to,, ~his. con• elusion.. ·I .have never. found .J~ easy .tq ··question his deci.rlons. for he refers all his problems ~0 God and always }is~ to Hi~ . . .comma.nds. . , Every': grea~ , ref<,>!'mer: baa heenlike,th&t and the~ alwaYl .~qpi~',ez ~ta~ in_ ~ve~_:refor,mer'a life.·whe~ hi} must take l!lave 0~ .his. f~llowing_·!J-n~ .soal( • . w:ith a~pl~ pinion. un~ammeUed by ,the4' , ~~i~a~ona :. •a:qar:wea.knesaes ... , , Bu~ ~~• • ·. ~oe,~t _by d¢ng sq limit, bu~ ,increases~ , ~~~~ :re~ .1and; ·~P:. yt;·. ~; eervi~es 1 ·. ' 112 TWO SERVANTS OF GOD After all, I h~ve· .but. one. standard of measure and that is the l)leasure of one's . surrender to God." That · is how he judge~ men and things and would. · be juciged.. . . ·· · · · · · · . i:he .elder brother is of a different type; He has travelled far and Wide. has met all sorts and typeEI ot· men. and has looked as much out of himself as the younger has tried' to look within. While the •I- ' ·younger loves to retire occasionally iJ?. the inner sanctum; the elder brother :would go out to develop fresh contacts.· While theyounger.pins his. faith' on more and more self-discipline •.. the elder takes _life easy and would' not bother to demand of it and human nature more than they can give. · He is ·a born sportsman. He led the cricket team of his college. and while in London played not only excellent cricket l:!ut distinguished himself in soccer. And thus he has taken life in the ·epirit Of sponamanship. . It was perhaps more di1Jicult for him to burn his boats and embrace . the hazards of political life· so late in ·life. as 1931-32; r CHARACTERISTICS ·; ·. ..· D:i ...... ' ~-- . .··. -~ --' . - ,-- . .- . ". . ; . -.., ~ ~-'' ·. after ye&l'8 of iilOmfo.rta.bl& 'ease. • thad· it · . \vai!. for the 7ounger brother who· teceived . his baptism of fire at the'ea•ly age of 29 • · ~nd theia took; to'a .. life ot suffering like iish to water. But the Doctor took it all "" . ' ' ' ' ~ . ' ...... - -- ~ 1n a ipirit .·of sportsmanship. . He knows · that if life holds its sweets for ua 'iii an . ample me&aure, even so does it not With;. •· hold its ·bitliers. ·from . ui:; ·.The you'rige/ --lu:uthehvouldprefer to' enjoy the' sweet~ 1 _through. the bitters of life, · ·-' •'. ' · ; ·• " ,,,_,_~, ~"- _. __ ,_-_.·. ,.-, r- ,,. : ·"-- -·t · -~-~;.:, .. '· :. , \;! -~ ~--_ ~-~ · .:. .-· ~ _: ~ ' • • The yoimger brother ~lace~ th~ ·gr~ai est emphasis·· on self·i~ta ·· · 4.. ·nd.,.e,y~~ revels in it. The elder accepts it· with -a . cheer when the• occasion 'comeii~ ~· '1'a.lli:llig • - •. . ' ' ·. -· ' l .. ~- •...• . once about smoking,_ •the· Doctor 'told ·me ·that he was "once ·-such an addict' that 'hti lmoked nothing less than fifty cigM,ttes & day. but in 1931 he felt that nnpriBonD:uin~ which· was: so much.ln· the air·;woU!d claim him'one day and:therefore decided . . llBVer •to ·smoke~·· ._.He··hu, not. touch~ . ' . tob&ccO since.·. But Khan Abdul Gaffar · • Khan hat never amoked at an.-. j. • ;· 'C :.•_,:, i . . ,_'-:.~!,.;_ ''•. , P .... -~~"''._;:_~~;~'~-~--:~ ~?:.-.;f· __ li"!'·,~ , · :n,:, Kh&llla.hib told ine i. ator7_ .•hich .. 0 - 0 ,; ... -;; od _ ' .J ' - 94 TWO SERVANTS OF GOD : .... • I ' • ~ • • • . • • :J:· 11!'1lst' reqord ·here.· ··Col; · Sande.man; the son' Of· .dol; Sir ·. R~berfl Sandeman, Of Quetta'fame, Wal! on a visit· to Pesha war Wi~h his "Guides" during the Truce. There was·gre11ot unhappiness fu ih~ minds of the officials over the Truce and Col. Sand~ma.D. ·did not disguise the feeling from· his friend, Dr.. Khansahib. The Doctor said to him: "No, Col. Sandeman, dismiss the thought of your .having been defeated entire-ly · out of your miBd. Political ~ife is a game in which the victor and the vanquished must shake hands .,.;.i.h vue another 88 much as in a game of football or cricket. •· And here in this in· stance there is no question of a victory; We ha,ve fust had a draw in which there is no victor and no vanquished... . And with this he. immediately pu~ 'tha. official at· ease. When they parted· from each other ~he. soldier ~said: "Well,. well; we have ~riown each. other . so: well that : 1 hope li.n(l pr"'y t~e' Gl,liiies m,;,y nC?t haVe .to be guilty of anythjng,;b&d in Charsadda!' . ~ ·:r; -:~. :~:· ~. ··.--.:: ! .. Tlie younger r meets hif! op~~~:ents in a purely religious spirit; the t!lder approaches • > thenHu; ap:urclfp~iitic~ro'ne. r~~t thtiaftlie elder har pat1ilnc8'With ihe bitter;· est opponents, the yo,unger•would find ~t. • . '.di1ficult to negotiate with them beyond . acertaifi limit •. The elder can' .ta.lk away ··• . with students,:_ joking . with. ·them ~and ' · · bantenng them, the younger would find .. · it. difficult·. to, · make friends ·with . boya, wasthig their .time, .over ' a .useless educ~· . • · tion. He has hiS obvious angularities from · - .. - - ~ · · which the elder brother does not seem to ..·suffer at all. But no one knows his limita-· t ~ ' .. > ' ' • · · .tiona · better than Khan. A~dul ,Gaffar .· Kbn •. I Dr. Khansahib did not take long 'to be persuaded to contest the ..Assembly · seat from . Peshawar,. no · one · would.· have dared .to make the suggestion tG-the-. . ·. younger,.· The elder would not hesitate tO: . go on· a diplom~tio mission, the younger •. ···would instinctively shrink from it•. · Each . ; is the complement .of the other and they' · ··· mak,e a unique pair-:-so different and yet so similar in theii transparent sin\)erity, stern, un1linching ~lo.J<y, ··· doggedness of · purpose, and . warmth and· tenderne&a of · attachment. . Both love to · call them. aelves ·.. KAv.dai KAidmatgar~r~nta of· ~ TWO SERVANTS OF GOD God-and the lives of both are aaedoua endeavour to deserve that difficult name. . ' I.. • KH.AN ABDUL GAFFAR KH.AN, DR. KH.ANSA.BIB, SETH JA.MNALAL BAJAJ (PlWlo taken a day before the Khansaheb'• urrut on December 8, 1934:) .-• .... - ' . ' ' -" ~: :.;. .. _,- .' .-'- ... . -, _:. ''·." •:;,; . ,.\ CHAPTER X ':"_ ; . ' . _;_.,·, -11{ THE RE.M; HOME .AGAIN .. Tms ~hapter' il!l going in 'its a postscript • - to. the chapters · w},ich are .-· B.Iready . in the .press.·~ The_ Khansaheb~e..t on . a. _ ',charg., 'llf' sedition temptil me· to bring. the book up~to-date. ~ ·-- : -·. · ·, · · ' "·'. • -; ,, ••. ·> • i: -, . -· " . ·. . -- ,,. ' ._., ~~. ·' ' ,,,:~Ever since theil.' release from Hazari- · bagh jail the Brothers had, Dn th'e cordial , · invitation ol Seth Jamnalal Bajaj,.· made -.. ·his house bi Wardha their home; The fact . f _- '- . , · that Gandhiji had already beeri staying in. Wardha as the good Sethji'& guest decld• ~ · ed them in their choice, {or they had come _-,.--. · out of prison with the determination to'~ . place themselves· at Gandhiji'a disposal·. __ ··· and to be guided entirely by him.· They • visited' SOme, placeS I• in · the central}~ · Provinces, also. Bengal ancl a Jew places·. in- the United Provinces, during• the ·. interval, but all these programmes were_ . practically arranged for them by Gan~· ' · ji. , Ancl I am giving no secret away when .-, . - 98 TWO SERVANTS OF GOD I say that every time the Khansaheb went out of W ardha, he did not do so without taking detailed instructions as to what he should say and how he should say it. The elder brother would not have cared to conte~t the Assembly seat for his province but for Gandhiji's advim•. and when .during the election campaign one of the _brothers. felt. that perhaps permission might be asked for Dr. Khansahib ·to visit the Frontier for the restricted object of the election campaign, it' was at Gandhiji's advice that the plarl · was dropped. The Khansaheb would not even c·onsent to open the All India · Swadeshi Exhibition without Gandhiji's approval, and the Bombay friends had to appeal to Ga.ndhiji to ma.ke ·him accept the invita.tion. I may even say tha.t the Khansaheb would not have accepted the membership of the Working Committee of the Congress but for Gandhiji's insistence. He is never tired of repeating that he is no good for offices and for politics, and he would be content to be a humble worker. He was free to attend the sittings of the Work· lN '.1'Bl: R1W. HOME AGA.IN . , 0 09. :.-; :·.ing Co~mittee' in Patna, but he st~;ed . , : away saying that his presence was in nQ ·. · . way necessary for the discussion of· the . · agenda that ' had been.· fixed.- Quiet, .·· speechless, wor~ i,n the villages is after .his .. heart and wltel'l Gandhiji decided to have him ·on the ~executive of the · AII~India ' Village ; lndustriils Association he had no. ·.. -~ heaitation ia ..;greeing. ~ · .. •. ; · · ' ·_·.· ..... · ,As·'f~;·:ihe >elder•llroth;,._:,,, he: h~s ' . perhaps made more friends thaa··~ th,' ; younger; because. _of 8. :wonderful geniality .... and:· playfulness •, o:r:.· spiri~ ·that ,.would BAem.ll.lmost foreign· to ,tho stern,.. ascetic . , nature of the younger. _Dr.: Kha.nsahib•. . without the_sllghtesto-c;remony or fuss•. ·.• took upon himself the ~ask of treating iuid · f. nursing ,the.·. patients in•..-Jamnaialji'a. ·: · household which is: ever. widening .:with· ; the numerous friends coming to· War.dha . ·.to meet Ga.ndhiji and. to ·attend various:\ meetings. He the_n oftered his services ' for _the· women's · and girls' ·.Ashrams. iri :.· .. Wardha which were gratefully a.Ccepted.> and . quite recently 'he ' began ;.going .·~ •.. out to ijle villages . in the· vicinity on' 100 TWO SE!RV.ANTs OF GOD a medical and sanitary :mission, tramping ten to fifteen :miles a day. And no job is too humble for this ex-I. M. S. I have aeon him sittmg down at the bedside of his patients fomenting them,,and some· times cutting vegetables for a vegetable soup which is his speci!l.l prescription for a convalescent. Of an early morning he would come to the Aehro.m to join Gandhiji in his morning walks. He would follow him Unobtrusively without "even excha»@..g -o word and walk back home after a visit., to the Ashram patients, if any. , In the history of the Congress it would be difficult to .find two greater instances of_.etea.dfaet loyalty and spontaneous allegiance. Even in their domestic affairs the Brothers have not hesitated to take Gandhiji into their confidence. During his brief stay in Wardha. as Jamnalalji's guest, Kha·n Abdal Gaffar Khan had opportunities to see the women's and girls' Ashrams at work. · The simplicity • Baci MIR.ABEN, SB.RIMATI JANKID:SVI BA.JAJ .Middle M.EHRTAJ KIIAN, SETH JAMNA.LAL BAJA.J, UMA. BAJA.J Frcml : ABDUL ALI KHAN, RAli.IUUSRNA BAJ4J . . ' . - IN THE REAL HOME AGAIN 101 ~ ;, of life there,: the atnloapher~· of peace, c .•. purity and fr~edom ;and the. msistence . on manual labOur/ captlp'6d . his heart •··. 'aml . he·. expresSed his: desire to ask· his ·little girl who :was· in' LondoJ! .in . ·charge oLher• aunt to return to India· , and take her training in the girls'. Ashram · at·Wardha;It. was a'brav~and noble · decision, · but· if a Pathan girl: could be : sent out to England and could be eduoat· ' · ed. .in an · English · school, why· ..· should. ··. ·''She ·find any difficulty in making' .the • . ·· Wardha Kanya Ashram her own'scb.ool7 ··. And wher~ could the father find .. better . ·people t.han the ·Head of the Ashram· and : · Miraben to look aft:er .· his gifU : That: . ·.··was how · the Khansaheb argued, &nd ·~ .•.· Gandhiji .had no hesitation mcabllDg to, Miraben to bring .. little Mehrtaj .·with ... her.. Both travelled deck on an Italian · boat and reached Wardha on the 22nd.· November•• ·. · . . \ ., ... --,-..•-; Imagine the wrench \)hat these little children must have experienced when the news reached their ears on t_he ev:enirig of the 7th December that their father had been arrested. The.little l~d of twelve asked Jamnalaljt, as the latter broke the news to him: "But ·why should my father be arrested,· when you and Mahatmaji · and all the rest .are free!" "Because," said. Jamnalalji, con(loUng the sobbing boy, "he is said· to hlllve . made a seditinue · ;;~peech in Bombay"-which reply landed Jamnalalji in an explanation of sedition simple enough for the boy to understand.. But. the father had no tears to mix with the children's tears. He knew that . he had been blessed with a friendship which would grow with increasing tests and trials and would never diminish-the friendship with Gandhiji and Jamnalalji to whom he could ·entrust. his children without the slightest anxiety. These few ·.-' . i . IN THE REAL HOME AGAIN 103 ,,_ : -· ': =:"'?·' -~~:-!:_.·:0: ' ' . v days in.Wardlta h~ve• lirought' the two . . brothers· and 'their two hosts, Jamnalalji ·.. and Gandhiji~ so close together that both. 'the guests and th~ hosts have developed . spiritual. kinship and brotherhood.·· ~here · have been \hardly , any"politi!Jal talks . . between them, bnt spiritual communing& · -prayerful and. silent--;..there have been ' quite enough, !1-~d it has been an ennoblip.g j· experience for everyone here to see thet . Kh&nsaheb coming da~y to the Ashram to _· .]l.ttend the. :.Tulai..:Ba.mayana reading;thil.t . ·· ·· Gandhiji .. has every monung,~and. ,very • . often to attend the morning and evening;·· prayers.~ . u The ;_music . of · that. bhajan · fills my soul,'~. he said to P.y~elal;' one of . these days, "please put th~(words down • · in the Urdu acript and· give me' an _Urdu_ translation of it.~·-· .. Essentially· of a retir- · ing disposition,. he likes nothing s0 much as· quiet prayer'· and· silent. work. and it was for both these 'objects that; he had ·•. decided to bury himself in the villages of . , Bengal. . He had had an . oeular · demon~· stration of the potency ofi:Aadi when he visited •.' _the · yoor ·.Muss.lman peasants in Benga.l in . their humble cottages • :"' . - .. -· 104 TWO. SERVANTS OF GOD cpuple of months ago, a1,1d he had wanted to carry the message of revival of village industrh~s to them. He was to have left for Bengal on the· 9th--of December, but Ja.mnalalji irisisted on his staying for the first meeting of the shortly-to-be-created Board of ihe Village l~dustries · Associa tion,. and so hil!l departure was. put off until the ~5th. We were really thinking and talking of hi11 work in Bengal when the District Superintendent of· Police appeared· on the evening of the 7th with ·a warrant 'of. ,arrest for him. Always prepared .for' 'suo~ summons, the great · Pa.than said he Wail,l;ea.dy the very minute the. warrant came. But he was allowed -some time to meet his friends, brother and children. As he was preparing to go, Gandhlji said: "Well, Khansa.heb, this time we are going to offer defence unlike previous occasions." The Khansaheb was rather taken aback. ·He said he was loath to take a. course different from the one he had been t~king since 1919. ."1 see your feeling in the matter," !'aid Gandhlji, ''but this is .riot the occasion. We do not 'want to go tO jail, if we can ... "·., ' ..... ·,' IN THE REAL HpME.AGAIN 105 ·: ·~ ;• -- ' . -•. - <':' '< • ""' • ·~~ .helpit.''c·A~d.sb::aight ·came the replyi . ~·J t. ' , ': . . • h th ., ~.. ••A- th .:0 .... us. asu.you,:.wiS ,... en... · ~o e. Jnstance olhi.Sbeautifulallegianee, ·•· ,& • • ~.::·{?:::-~.1~ > -~ •l. -:":~':~- .~,_~~-- :: <:<-.·~~ --~jc ,.- ~-:. :.' ;_ -~-," _· ~;.... ~c',_~ -~-:, ~-- ··>.<.' ;,_ :, It was a .. wrench to the, .. elder· brother ••·: ·t;-;; b~ torn a,wayfron:ia.. brother. who~.had ; shared his joys ll.nd sorr9ws foi over three~~ ~·>years in jail and dtuirig the. h~dred·diys- .·· •· of · tlieir -..restricted. freedomrc·· But the .. · ': :yormger bad DO BOrrow Oll' this' perSOD&l·, \: account... He asked the little· children •to · · '}:.be .brave ~nd .tli learn ,.t~l!)e~BC)D.~ :of sim· . : •..• pliCity and self-discipline~de£.the ,kind· ... · care of .. their adoptetf. parents, Gandhiji · ,· and Jamnalalji:.i ,··~~ •. , ..; ...... ·,·!;~ · .... ,; ,. ," . ', . -··-t } _.,_._;~-- " ,f=~:)-:.;~--)~~ --... ;_~-~---:::_ -' ·... : But one· sorrow. seemed .to. •cast a' . faint shadow'over hi~'iace.;.·;.•:aoW:r'Vi;m ·.· · ; I ,had been able td fulfifm:r promise t.o . ·the poor Musalmans)n ~he Bengal vil·. · .-lages l .,· I had promised to live ll..nd wor~ . amongst them, and I may not; now do · even that little service.~· :-And. pausing awhile, he said in accents of deep pathos : •··.· " As regards .the Frontier, .Ido nat know · ·what to say; Let my arrest not provoke my people into 'acts ·of. rashiieBB; · Let • 1• • • ~ .- •